Chapter 242: The Civil War in the Principality (7)

No way... the immigrants have actually come?!

Fran couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Right before his eyes was a force of at least ten thousand, a number that could easily tip the scales of the current battle.

Depending on the situation, ten thousand troops could be insignificant, but in this case, it was undoubtedly enough to change the course of the ongoing war.

But what made Fran even more uneasy was the uncertainty surrounding the abilities of these newcomers.

I heard that during the Extermination Decree of Heresy, most of this tribe was wiped out by the imperial army...

According to reports, the immigrants, who were said to lack even mana, should not have been a threat. Yet, these people had survived, guarding the northern territories long before the empire and principality were established.

While the empire saw them as ants that could be crushed at any time, the immigrant tribes had always been a part of the continent’s history and continued to survive to this day.

That alone was enough to question their presumed weakness.

The reason the immigrants seem weak is because, unlike the south, they never formed a significant power.

The northern tribes consisted of only hundreds to a few thousand members at most. If they had formed a large force like Digon in the south, with tens of thousands of soldiers, they wouldn’t have been so easily targeted by the empire.

But now, Fran’s perception of the immigrant tribes had just shifted. These ten thousand warriors were united under one man, Karyl.

This was the critical difference that set them apart from the scattered tribes of the past. And Fran couldn’t even begin to estimate how many more might rally under Karyl’s banner in the future.

Tap–tap–tap–

Karyl lightly tapped the map on the table with his fingers, snapping Fran back to reality. Fran quickly bowed his head, a wave of frustration washing over him.

“Focus, Fran. This is your battlefield. How long will it take to reach the White Bunker from here?"

“Ah...”

Fran was irritated by Karyl’s assertion that this was his battlefield, but he couldn’t find the words to argue. After all, this was not a battle he had chosen. The closer they marched toward the White Bunker, the darker his mood became.

Fran was leading an army of over a hundred thousand, yet was being manipulated by a single man.

Damn it...

But who could he complain to? Who would believe that someone started a war with the intention of losing?

I made a mistake by keeping it a secret even from Anthem Howard. If it weren’t for Tuli's conditions...

Fran regretted keeping his plans a secret from Anthem Howard, but it couldn’t be helped. Everything within the Wooden Cloud was top secret. What Fran didn’t realize was that Tuli had orchestrated this entire battle to drive a wedge between him and Anthem Howard.

However, Karyl’s involvement had revealed Fran’s plans to Anthem, and even though it was not by his own choice, it ultimately led to a final confrontation with Tuli.

Anthem, having realized this, chose to overlook Fran’s betrayal. Some might say that Anthem’s decision to stand by and watch Fran’s advance under Karyl’s influence was a dereliction of duty.

But Anthem believed that when his lord was on the wrong path, sometimes drastic measures were necessary to steer him back. In this case, that drastic measure was Karyl.

In their past life, they had split because Anthem couldn’t find that poison in time.

“...It will take about a week to reach the rear gate of the White Bunker, known as Moon Aether,” Fran hastily answered, pointing to a spot on the map where the White Bunker was shielded by the Carton Mountain Range.

“Although the White Bunker is a natural fortress, protected by mountains on its rear side, there is a path leading through the mountains. That’s where we’ll go.”

The mountains encircled the White Bunker like a wall, leaving only one passable route, which was, of course, guarded by a small fortress.

“But it’s not an easy stronghold to capture. Although the White Bunker’s defenses are weaker on the rear compared to the front, that’s only relative. Moon Aether is garrisoned by about thirty thousand troops.”

“That’s quite the number,” Karyl remarked.

“Even though it’s a civil war, the dukes haven’t deployed all their forces. The principality is a powerful nation with an army exceeding four hundred thousand. In this conflict, only a little over a hundred thousand troops have been mobilized."

“One hundred twenty thousand, to be exact. Why downplay it? Are you feeling ashamed? Because of you, thirty thousand out of your fifty thousand troops are dead.”

“...”

Fran grimaced at Karyl’s sharp words but kept his mouth shut.

I have to find a way to inform Tuli of the situation, no matter what...

The best option would be to strike a deal with her. Given the current circumstances, her forces already had the upper hand in the war. If they could broker an agreement now, it could quell the civil war without much further conflict.

But the real question was whether she was aware of his situation. There was a chance she might even think he had betrayed her.

“...”

Fran ground his teeth as his plan continued to unravel.

Or perhaps Binfredo...

Though Anthem Howard had already uncovered that this was a rigged war, he was still the only person Fran could trust. If Fran could persuade him, Anthem might be able to convey his situation to Tuli, even if Fran couldn’t act directly.

But perhaps Karyl had already anticipated this. The first thing he had done was to secure Fran’s whereabouts, keeping him constantly by his side to completely cut off any communication with the outside world.

The overwhelming pressure Fran had felt in Cove flashed through his mind, and he didn’t even realize he was trembling. His instincts told him it was impossible to escape Karyl’s watchful eye by himself.

Thinking about this caused his collarbone to throb again, even though Karyl had healed him. Fran reached into his coat, pulled out a vial of medicine, and quickly took a few pills. He chewed them dry, grimacing at the bitter taste, unable to even spare a moment for water.

“You’re taking those pills more frequently,” Karyl observed.

“I’d like to see how well you’d handle things in my position,” Fran retorted, his tone laced with bitterness.

Karyl merely shrugged in response.

“Tell me what you know about Moon Aether.”

“Moon Aether, which guards the rear of the White Bunker, is one of the largest fortresses in the principality. Its walls are the fifth highest, and its moat is two meters deep.”

Fran pointed outside.

“I admit, using the immigrant tribe to attack from the rear is quite the strategy. But do you really think people who live in the mountains have any experience with sieges?”

Fran shook his head before continuing, “And from what I see, most of those immigrants arrived on horseback. To breach Moon Aether, they would need to scale the walls, which is impossible without siege equipment.”

“You don’t know until you try. Siege equipment isn’t the only way to breach walls.”

“What, you think you can take a fortress without even a ladder?” Fran asked incredulously.

“Hashir, summon the representatives of the tribes,” Karyl ordered, ignoring Fran.

As soon as he said that, the tent flap opened, and three warriors stepped inside first.

“We’ve been waiting,” said Lilliana of the Jannabi tribe, the only woman among them, standing at the forefront.

However, Karyl frowned slightly and asked, “Wasn’t the Black-Eyed tribe supposed to participate as well?”

“We delivered your message, my lord. They said they would present themselves to you after achieving results in this battle.”

“So they think they can handle it, huh?” Karyl chuckled at Hashir’s response. “What are your names?” he asked as he scanned the unfamiliar warriors, his eyes narrowing. He already knew Hashir and Lilliana, but the others were strangers.

The first to speak was a warrior from the Red Moon tribe. “I am Patun. Our tribe is known for our speed and agility, even among the northern tribes.”

Patun’s lean frame belied his strength, as the muscles under his skin twitched with every word. A tattoo of a red crescent moon covered half of his face, granting him an intimidating aura.

“We’ve already scouted the fortress. The walls are indeed high, but not insurmountable. We found a weak spot on the right side where the stone is worn. With a few sturdy daggers, I can be on top in five seconds.”

What? They’ve already scouted the fortress? There’s still a week left before we reach it, and they’ve already sent scouts ahead?

Fran was astonished by Patun’s remark. Even though they had been pushing their horses hard, the Red Moon tribe had managed to stay a full week ahead. Fran couldn’t even imagine how they traveled.

“How long will it take to breach the fortress?” Karyl asked.

“Five seconds after we reach the wall, assuming we won’t be hindered,” Patun replied confidently.

“You don’t need to worry about interference. We’ll cover you,” said a warrior from the Wolf-Fox tribe. “At that distance, the wall is within range of our archers. We’ll pick off the enemy commanders before they even know what hit them.”

Karyl nodded, familiar with the reputation of the Wolf-Fox tribe. If the southern tribes had their legendary Flying Bow archers, the northern tribes had the Wolf-Foxes—masters of archery and assassination.

Another warrior, this one from the Tiger Shield tribe, spoke up, “We, the Tiger Shields, will protect the Wolf-Fox archers. We’ll advance as soon as the arrows start flying and shield them from any counterattack.”

Hashir scoffed at the Tiger Shield warrior, Kuntai. “The Wolf-Foxes don’t need protection. We can handle ourselves.”

Kuntai shrugged, unfazed.

“Don’t worry, we’re not doing it out of kindness. We’ll protect you from the first volley, then move on to breach the gate.”

Karyl smiled, pleased with their coordinated strategy.

“Don’t let your eagerness for glory lead you into foolishness. I’d rather not have to deal with your corpses. The gate will be ours to open.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourselves!” Patun growled at Kuntai. “We’ll be the ones to open the gate.”

These lunatics...

Fran couldn’t help grimacing at their heated exchange.

“You talk as if you’re just going to hop a backyard fence, not scale the walls of a fortress guarded by thirty thousand men. Without magic, how do you expect to break through the shields protecting that fortress?” Fran challenged.

Moon Aether, like the Yoman Great Wall, was connected directly to White Bunker. While Yoman’s grandeur often overshadowed it, Moon Aether was still one of the principality's most formidable fortresses.

“Attacking a fortress with fewer troops than its defenders is arrogant enough, but claiming you can scale the walls without ladders? Ridiculous.”

“The immigrant tribes have their own ways,” Lilliana of the Jannabi tribe turned to Fran with a cold smile.

“The ways of the defeated tribes, you mean. For a bunch of people who cowered in hiding after getting crushed by the empire, you sure talk a big game.”

Thud!

In an instant, Lilliana slammed her elbow into Fran’s throat, throwing him to the ground. She unsheathed her sword and drove it into the ground beside his head, the blade cutting his cheek as it landed, leaving a crimson streak.

“We were never defeated!” Lilliana hissed.

Hashir, watching the scene unfold, shrugged as if to say there was nothing he could do.

“If anything, you should be thanking us.”

“What...?" Fran muttered, confused by Hashir’s words.

At that moment, Karyl placed a hand on Hashir’s shoulder, signaling him to stop.

“Enough. Whatever the circumstances, the fact remains that the empire attacked the tribes, resulting in great loss. That’s an undeniable truth.”

“...”

“But now you must correct that misconception. You need to show them something.”

The other warriors nodded, waiting for Karyl's next command.

“How much time do you need to take Moon Aether?” Karyl asked.

They answered in unison, “One day will be enough.”