"What do you mean riots?! Kinman City is so close to the western border. If it falls, we will lose our last defense against the invaders." Queen Isabellas stormed into the war meeting immediately after the marriage ceremony, and the feast ended.
"Your Majesty, we have yet to receive the second round of reports. But since Duchess Bethany didn't attend the wedding, we have high hopes that the riot will be dealt with soon enough. She's a Grand Wizard, after all," Gideon Gracia suggested.
"But this sudden riot makes no sense. We're implementing life-changing policies that are helping the commoners live a life of comfort akin to nobles. There is nothing to riot for." Isabella stated, as she could feel there was something fishy about the whole situation.
Bam!
"Your Majesty!" Count Harvard Zeelif came running in, the Queen's Prima. "An awful report! The new and budding city of Broken Bay has also reported riots. Goldstown and Pitfall Town have also sent the same distressing words."
"This is not normal," Isabella announced. "It must have something to do with Leyon the Conqueror. King Highland warned us about him."
"What do you wish to do, Your Majesty? Should we dispatch soldiers?" The Prima asked.
"Don't even think about that. From what I've studied while living with His Holiness and learning from him, I can see this is Leyon's elaborate plan. He wants to divide our attention so he can attack the place he needs to conquer—the heart of Gracia, the city of Maximilia. Elder Gideon, place all of the city guards on alert and keep the reserve army ready to act at any moment," Isabella began ordering the people in the room, doing exactly what she was trained to do and had studied for. One after another, she sent everyone away to manage everything.
"What about me?"
Isabella looked behind at her husband, now in his armor with his sword at the ready. "I'm sorry, Felix. It seems our first night of marriage will have to wait."
"We've waited for years. What's a few more nights? But are you sure you don't want to act and help the riot-filled towns and cities?" Felix asked as he walked closer to stand beside her.
Isabella lovingly and tightly took hold of his hand. "Leyon has been careful not to spread mindless death and chaos because then he would be deemed a heretic criminal by the Holy Land. If that happens, he will have to deal with three Supreme Wizards. The manufactured riot in the cities is his ploy."
"I hope you're right. But I believe I will have to go now… Despite my heart telling me not to," Felix informed her and pecked a little kiss on her lips. "I may be the King Consort of Gracia, but officially, I am Saint Viceman of the Holy Land. If I meddle, it would be akin to the Church meddling."
Isabella hugged him and simply remained like that. "I know… such a start to our married life…"
"Such a start indeed."
…
Leyon escaped the Sand City alive and without any injury. But in his path, he left rivers of blood flowing through the streets as any knight that was seen was killed. The Weeping Ghost Assassin Guild followed behind the conqueror in his bloodbath and retreated.
"They are aware of us," Leyon met with his four commanders and briefed them. "The riots were successful, but from here on, the battle will be fought hard and long. We will start from the north and the south at the same time."
"Your Majesty, why did you attack Sand City?" Commander Bayek asked. "We gained nothing there."
"We gained the knowledge that they knew about us and were preparing. This changes our plans as we can't win this war covertly anymore. Go and pass on the orders. Bring the soldiers into the east through the river, the mountains, and the seas. Start by attacking what used to be The Patch in the days of Sorrow Kingdom. As for the north, I'll lead the charge myself. The goal is to converge in the middle while dividing them on two fronts. We have the numbers and even the experts—we have nothing to fear." Calm and collected, Leyon didn't seem like a man who had just killed hundreds of knights in the capital of a kingdom.
It was perhaps the reason he was able to reach this far. However, the real test of his leadership was going to be pushed to the limit now.
"Commander Shing, you will remain behind and gather intelligence regarding their numbers with me. The various kingdoms must have sent a call to all the noble houses to gather the armies. We must make sure there are no hidden experts."
The men saluted the conqueror and busied themselves.
Finally the last play of the long game was starting. And Leyon couldn't help but pray to Solis for his blessing.
'Bless me so I can uproot all the evil that plays with the lives of your devotees. Give me strength to destroy all the corrupt and fulfill my duty. May your light shine bright upon this new world I am creating.'
…
Across the various noble houses of the East Sol, the trumpets of war rang with the arrival of the royal decree to gather the troops and stop the invaders. Of course, almost all the nobles with half a brain already knew about Leyon the Conqueror, so they understood the risk.
Be it Duchess Iceling, Duke of Zon, Duke of Colorwood, Count Raftel, Baron Strongarm, or other nobles from various kingdoms. The preparation for war began almost immediately, and the nobles who never held a standing army began recruiting and giving quick training to the men who came forward.
Food, medicines, and other necessary materials for war were also gathered in large quantities, which in turn increased the price of almost all goods across the East. Commoners began to understand that a war was coming. Riveria and Highland hadn't seen war in a long time, so people grew wary and scared, fueling the riots further.
Slowly, it became clear why Leyon started riots before officially starting his campaign. It was all a tactic to weaken the enemy from within.
But still, the various lords wasted no time to start marching and regrouping with the Royal Army. In many cases, the lords went along; in others, they only sent their senior commanders.
Unbeknownst to them, they weren't just fighting the conqueror, but also someone who had already conquered them.
…
As an undead serving the Emperor Lich, who serves the apostle of light, General Bob never thought a day like this would come. But again, he wasn't someone with complex, intricate thoughts to begin with.
Now, he had a great responsibility bestowed upon him by the Pope himself. A task that was monumental to the future of the world, or so he was told. With the blessings of Emperor Raz, he proceeded with his mission, alongside a hundred thousand undead troops, a mere fraction of the nightmarish army of the ancient lich.
"The name of the Emperor rests on our shoulders, my soldiers!" General Bob, the skeleton undead with magnificent leather robes on him, tried to address his army. "Let us bring glory to our lord creator, the one our lord creator follows, and the God who he follows!"
Chirp! Chirp!
Sadly, the undead army he had didn't have enough intelligence to be able to speak. All it could do was follow the orders that he could give them. So, in response to his blood-pumping call, only the chirpings of the insects came.
"Good! Start digging!" Unbothered, General Bob folded his arms and proudly watched his army dig a hole. They weren't too far from Count Baltimov's castle in the Duchy of Ironstone. "Be quick! We have thousands of other places to be in the coming weeks!"
Once again, only the noise of the undead digging came back. But he was still motivated and led his army to make a tunnel big enough for them to crawl. Soon, they began making their way towards the noble castle and kept digging deeper as per the floor plans they had been provided with.
"Ten meters further down!" He commanded.
In no time, the resilient skeletons hit something harder than simple mud. General Bob took notice of it and went to the forefront. "It looks like a wall… The bricks match the castle above."
Clank!
Clank!
Being an elevated undead, he turned one arm into a sharp, pointy bone spear and began digging into the wall. He did it slowly to make sure no loud noise was made. Still, he was fast enough that in a few minutes, he formed a hole for all of them to crawl in.
"Follow me, my soldiers."
Thud!
One after another, they all began falling into the darkness. The floor was a few meters below where they entered. Bob was lucky, but the other undead started to make a hill of bones.
"Back to your feet, you weaklings! Do not tarnish the name of His Majesty the Emperor, our creator Raz, and the one he follows!"
Soundless, the undead reorganized themselves and started lighting up the Light Crystal each had. In an instant, the dark space they entered turned bright, and the view was awe-inspiring.
"M-Marvelous!" General Bob exclaimed. "S-So much gold… With this, I can… I can… make a beautiful throne for my Emperor… and the one he follows!"
"Quick! Start working. Make a line from the hole all the way to outside and start extracting everything in here. Make sure you tie all the bags well. Not a single coin should spill!" Bob commanded the soldiers and started emptying Count Baltimov's massive vault.
Although war preparations had cost a lot of money, a significant chunk of the wealth still sat there. Bricks of gold were stacked to the ceiling, coins of gold piled up like small hills, and other precious gems were neatly placed in giant cauldrons, which were also made of gold.
"Empty everything!" Bob roared. "Whatever you can't take into the tunnel, break into pieces!"
Three hours—That was all it took for General Bob. From starting the digging to emptying the last speck of treasure from the vault. Repairing the hole in the wall, and the thin tunnel they had made. It was as if they were never there.
As soon as they arrived back outside in the darkness of the night, the next team of undead was waiting for him. It included thousands of undead albatrosses, vultures, and pelicans, who soon picked up bags filled with gold whole, dropping more empty ones, and flew away towards the north, somewhere discrete.
"His Majesty, and the one he follows, shall be delighted." General Bob couldn't help but feel proud of his work. But still, much was left to do. "We have fifteen more noble houses to visit tonight. My soldiers, march forward, for the night is dark, and the moon lacks its spark!"
Trrr…! Trrr…!
With only the sound of insects, a massive silent undead army, and an overenthusiastic skeleton moved.
Thank you for reading. Gifts and GT votes are highly appreciated.
