As Alus accompanied the ambitious Beggar King in his diplomatic maneuvers with high hopes that it would bring him closer to his goal, the situation between Dalreida and Cingis has reached another turning point. Prior to Piso’s birthday, there were reports that Cingis armies were using the tribes between them and Barba as a cover to amass sufficient offensive strength for a two-pronged attack against two Dalreidan provinces, Aramathi and Barba. However, not only did scouts fail to correctly estimate their buildup, and the politicians largely disregarded any potential conflict, Dalreida only detected massive movements by these Cingis armies when they were already at the border.

Utilizing the lack of readiness of the people as an aftermath of celebrating Piso’s birthday, the Cingis have already penetrated many outposts throughout Barba and Aramathi fronts within the first day. Even when the Assembly convened a special session the very next day, their declaration of war against Cingis was already too late. Piso himself already embarked with many of the veterans of the Bereta campaign to combat the Cingis threat, leaving Hundo once more to administer the palace in his place, as well as his eyes and ears in the Assembly. It might well be a relief for Alus not to take the Cingis route, as a Dalreidan such as he would have been given a difficult time due to the deterioration of the already cold relations between the two nations.

“My lord,” one of Piso’s generals approached him as they marched non-stop towards Barba, “Why do you think the Cingis are more interested in Barba than in Aramathi? Isn’t Aramathi an easier fruit to pluck due to Rabka’s coup?”

Without looking at him, Piso replied, “The broad front strategy is just for show. Already their logistics are in peril because they have to cross stadia of forests to supply their lines. Also, our resistance begins to stiffen. They’ll be forced to choose any one of the two objectives where they can focus their forces first. I ask you, what makes Barba attractive?”

“I can guess… their industries and natural resources?”

“Yes, they can cripple our war capacity and possibly build their own if they knock out Barba first.”

“Brilliant deduction, my lord. Would this be yet another lightning war like in Bereta?”

Piso sighed, “We’ll see. Remember, war doesn’t have winners.”

Despite the sheer size of forces the dictator brought with him, it did not take more than four days to reach the Barban capital of Mustaka. This is record time for any Dalreidan marching army, considering how far north Mustaka is from Dalreida Proper. The city resembled much of the capital, albeit in a more compressed urban design. Meanwhile, similar to Kotan, Mustaka boasts a complex road system, high-rise buildings, large establishments, and fledgling factories mostly located by the two rivers cutting through the city.

Decades ago, Mustaka was nothing but swamplands, a landscape it used to share with the rest of the settlements across Tekton, the principality which controlled much of what is now Barba before the Dalreidan occupation. However, rapid economic growth spurred by income from natural resources made the province as Dalreida’s industrial center. The swamps were drained, while the land was cultivated and raised. The Barban population learned to harness water, wind, and steam power, among other technologies, to full effect, distributing their experience throughout the republic.

Of course, all is not rosy for Barba, as it is increasingly being suspected of breaking away from Dalreida due to various reasons. For one, Barba always coveted Kamui’s wealth because even though the latter did not have as much industrial capacity, the former still falls behind in terms of income generation. In addition, many in the province begin to feel that they were being used as fuel to drive the Dalreidan war machine. Coupled with renewed interest with their Tektonic heritage, the province has not always been viewed favorably by the republican government.

The Cingis incursion is the most opportune time to check the loyalty of Barba to the republic. When Piso and his generals arrived in the city, they were wildly cheered by the crowds. As they approached the Governor’s Palace, they noticed from afar the governor, clad in military uniform, talking with a small audience in Barban. When the dictator and his generals dismounted, the elated governor rushed to them.

“Wie geht es Ihnen?”, the governor spread his arms and enveloped them to Piso, “How was the journey, my lord? I welcome you once more to Mustaka City!”

The similarly glad dictator hugged him back, “Never been better, Helmoz. Just a few years at the helm and you’ve greatly improved the infrastructure around here. I thought the trip would take a week!”

Helmoz broke his hug and grabbed Piso’s shoulders, “You don’t have to flatter me so much, my lord. If seven years is short for you, time surely flies.”

Piso smiled, removed his hold, and then put an arm around him, “Come now, we have work to do.”

Helmoz also places an arm around Piso and walks with him, “I understand. We’ll go sightseeing later. For now, this way, my lord.”

The generals with Piso looked at each other, all of them wondering at their master's present gesture. Nonetheless, they snapped out of their amazement to follow the two leaders. Soon, they found themselves in the governor’s office, where there is a huge mechanical board showing the dispositions of the Dalreidan and Cingis forces in the province. Already inside where Helmoz’s generals, who were discussing the defensive strategy Barba has to take.

As Piso and his generals seated themselves around the mechanical board, Helmoz pushed a button. This caused the mechanical board to set up and move on its own. Seeing how it does so without human intervention, Piso’s generals were bewildered, albeit Helmoz’s generals did not mind.

The governor then discussed the situation by heart, “Lord Piso, ladies and gentlemen. The Cingis offensive officially started six days ago, when more than 400,000 Cingis warriors crossed the Dalreidan border. They were split evenly between Barba and Aramathi, indicating a broad front strategy. However, just two days ago, when our defenses holded well beyond their expectations, the Cingis sent in their reserves, numbering 200,000 more, against Barba. This is how much they have conquered within the first week of their offensive. In Aramathi, they conquered the area surrounding Lake Bitrana, while here, after crossing the Rinrin River, the Cingis halted their advance before our defense line. But if they manage to break through our line, Kamui could be their next target.”

“Understood,” Piso interjected, “But I doubt sheer numbers would be enough to make the Cingis audacious enough. A Dalreidan soldier is a match to any five Cingis warriors.”

“That’s what we thought so, too, my lord. But these reserves turn out to be shock troops. I mean, literally. They saved the best for last.”

“Shock troops? Has the Cingis army been professionalized like ours?”

Helmoz shook his head, causing anxiety among his generals, “No, my lord. When I said shock troops, they’re the warriors who brought electric weapons with them.”

“Electricity? I got some idea about this technology, but how do they exactly use them?”

The governor motioned his hand, and one of his civilian staff hastily brought a peculiar leather backpack with wires coming out of it carefully connected to curved backswords.

“This is their secret weapon, Lord Piso,” Helmoz expounded as he wore the backpack himself, “We managed to salvage this after one of the initial battles. Calling them Wergom, they can slash and electrocute at the same time. The backpack contains a powerful battery inside. It’s heavy, but their muscular forms can easily support them. They use animal fur, their traditional war clothing, to conceal the backpack. As you can see, these copper wires covered in rubber can extend as long as a man’s arm can reach. In any direction, too. Therefore, despite it’s limited range, this weapon can be quite deadly for both humans and animals.”

Cingis is known for its copper reserves, thus earning their military the moniker Copper Horde. However, to develop their resource with such technology seemed to be a quantum leap for the Dalreidan military.

One of Piso’s generals bawled, “How did the Cingis discover this technology?! They’re nothing but nomadic buffs who can’t even read or write!”

One of Helmoz’s generals shot back, “Surely you’re not thinking that Barba sold such technology to Cingis?! We may know as much on how to harness electricity, but even we’re surprised by this development!”

“Who else is there to blame, huh?! Tarches?! Why would our god grant them such deadly technology?!”

“You’ve gone far enough! I’ve served the best years of my life in the military not to be belittled by a coat check attendant like you!”

“Why you, blond bastard…?!”

Helmoz rapidly snuck behind Piso’s general and put one of the backswords extremely near the neck, “Listen to me. You call yourself a general of the Dalreidan military? If I were your adversary, I would’ve planted this in your throat by now. Better shut your trap if you don’t want to know how it feels to be electrocuted to death.”

The sweaty general slightly nodded, which was enough for Helmoz to withdraw. The dictator only looked at his general for a while, and then returned his attention to Helmoz.

The governor cleared his throat and continued, “Yes, we did brainstorm on how we can cancel their potential advantage. To explain what we had on mind, let me call on the Chief Researcher.”

A rather deep voice can be heard in the room, “Governor, is that my cue?”

“Yes,” Helmoz replied, “That’s the cue.”

Just then, a panel under the huge board falls off. From there, a small and stout man emerges. He wears a helmet having a tinted eyeshield, tunic and pants with distinct Barban design, and gloves with small metal plates attached to it. He pats the panel back to its place, and then bows to them in four directions.

Another general of Piso blurted out, “Where can this pipsqueak actually help us in?!”

The Chief Researcher ignored the general, “For the sake of national security, I’ve shed my personal identity to work as a Chief Researcher of Dalreida. I hope you’ll understand.”

All but that one general nodded to denote their comprehension of his circumstances.

While touching his mustache, the Chief Researcher continues, “I know you’ve got to war it up soon, so I’d make this brief. If you want a metal-based armor to fend off their Wergom, keep dreaming. All metals are conductors. There’s no way to make it non-conductive.”

Piso asked, “Conductors?”

“It simply means materials which can carry electricity efficiently.”

“I see. Your proposal?”

“The Honorable Governor and his military staff right here thought of the obvious answer. I concur. It's wood. But wood is bulky if it’s meant to deflect anything from this weapon type. No, sir. I propose the use of Konnenite.”

The stout scientist brings out two square pieces from his pocket, wood and Konnenite.

“Konnenite? The experimental armor material has been completed?”

“Ja! I know you'd be bored by the chemical processes, so let's just say it’s baked. We can produce it in massive numbers, but don’t let the process bother you. Let me demonstrate just how tough my Konnenite can be.”

The Chief Researcher walks to the table of the general who dissed him, putting the piece of wood there, and then strikes the piece of Konnenite against it, giving the general a slight shock. He did not hit the wood hard, but it left a distinguishable mark on the wood. It amazed Piso’s generals, while Helmoz and his generals seemed pleased with the demonstration.

“The thing with Konnenite,” the proud scientist expounds, “it’s malleable, but when it hardens, it can be tougher than any piece of wood you can chop. The idea struck me when I was travelling the Barban countryside. We can’t simply harvest all the wood here for single time use. It’s unsustainable for the swamps of Barba. But if instead of cutting off trees for the wood, we extract from live trees the raw material of Konnenite, we save our trees for future use, and still develop a synthetic armor in the process.”

“Good,” Piso said with a few claps, “But how does Konnenite neutralize the Wergom?”

The Chief Researcher draws out another piece of Konnenite, which seemed thinner than the first one, “My lord, Konnenite isn’t the absolute armor. Sharpened metal can still pierce through it, just as it can do to our scale armor.”

He then exerts some force on the second piece of Konnenite to snap it into two.

“Also,” the Chief Researcher continues, “if the Konnenite is thin enough, it can still be broken up like this. So, we have to ensure that Konnenite is strong enough to absorb so much a force, that it doesn’t conduct electricity like its metal counterparts, plus the armor design be improved to better fit the body, and to deflect at least scratches, grazes, and blunt attacks.”

Piso’s generals begin to look disbelieving, but the calm dictator himself did not share their reaction.

“Mmm,” Piso commented, “Better equipped with something than nothing at all.”

Helmoz interrupted, “But my lord, there’s another pressing matter. Cingis cavalry. Our cannons can’t aim well with the rapidity of their advance, and their accuracy with the bow is excellent. Before we know it, our cannoneers are taken out of action.”

The dictator clasped his hands together, “I’ve been assigned against the Cingis before, but then, they’re just a ragtag bunch who enjoyed fighting. I’m still amazed by what can happen within a few years, and that I still lived to see all of these.”

“What’s your plan of action, my lord?”

“Let me ask you this. What halted the Cingis behind our lines?”

“I suppose… they saw how our defenses prepared for them?”

“Wrong. It’s part of their tradition. The Three Blessings.”

Without any hesitation to hide his lack of knowledge on the Cingis, Helmoz frowned, “Three Blessings?”

“Didn’t I tell you, governor?”, the Chief Researcher interjected, “The Cingis have this ritual which is simply translated to our vocabulary as scorched-earth, but it actually had something to do with their culture. The First Blessing, they nourish themselves from the resources of the enemy land in order to fight another day. The Second Blessing, they send home whatever they can take because they regard their homeland as a parent figure who needs to be given back to. The Third Blessing, they destroy everything. It doesn’t matter how as long as all is devastated.”

“No, Chief Researcher. You didn’t tell me. But yes, now I understand.”

“The Cingis are still nomads,” Piso said, “They believe in the cycle of creation and destruction. In the wake of their destruction, the world is created anew. This is the principle behind the Three Blessings. And we can’t allow such tradition ravage all that we’ve worked for.”

“Well said, my lord,” the governor applauded, “but we still have to counter their speed advantage.”

“Use the terrain.”

“The what now?”

“Barba prides itself of its swamps. Force the Cingis to battle in the swampland, then their cavalry would be virtually useless. By then, they’ll be forced to use their shock troops. But we’ll be ready for them, is that correct, Chief Researcher?”

The scientist touched his mustache once more as he disagreed, “It would’ve been if I’m given enough resources to work with.”

“What do you mean?”

“Because the Assembly suspected Barba after the Kamui blasts, my funding has been hugely cut! I can only equip a single unit with Konnenite armor, nothing more!”

Piso hid his hands under the table and gripped his cane, “We’ll make do with what we have.”

“My lord,” Helmoz protested, “if only the Konnenite-equipped unit will go, it’d be more than 600 to 1 disadvantage! Are you planning to send my men to a suicide mission?!”

The dictator smiled at him, “Think nothing of it. I’d be leading them myself.”

“Forgive me, but I implore you not to be absurd. Your campaign in Bereta is brilliant, but it’s the Cingis we’re talking about here.”

“Don’t you remember the conquest of Miarza?”

The generals murmured among themselves, while the Chief Researcher gave a tight smile.

Helmoz looked up, “Of course, my lord! That’s where you became known as the Benefactor of the Republic! They said you singlehandedly killed a million people with your Raja Ikinen!”

“A mil…,” Piso chuckled, “That's not what really happened. I better talk to Galeni about how they’d been teaching history.”

“Lord Piso, no offense. That was ages ago. Surely you’re not thinking…?”

“Ready the Konnenite unit. I want to see them myself.”

All of them saluted, and then went on their way. However, Piso ordered the Chief Researcher to stay. He motioned the latter to take a seat facing him, and so the scientist did.

“What is your concern, my lord?”, the Chief Researcher asked without showing any emotion just like his master.

Piso replied, “Do you have to assume that I’m concerned about something?”

“I can somehow deduce a number of possible topics.”

“This is no game of generals to wrack the brain with. I want to know the status of our projects.”

The Chief Researcher grinned, “Inventing is one thing, but making them user friendly is another. By Genises, those professional soldiers can’t even load and fire my new cannons fast enough! How can I have them handle the explosive rounds that I’ve been working with?”

“I understand, but we’re probably in a race for technological superiority here. If Cingis didn’t come up with the Wergom, there must be another party supplying them.”

“I can think of two rivals already.”

“I do, too. Bayan and Berania.”

“Ho-hum. The philosophers say that necessity is the mother of invention. We scientists don’t share the same optimism.”

Piso stood up, “If you’re having problems with funding, don’t worry. Just give them the bill, and I’d take full responsibility.”

The Chief Researcher leaned backward, “My lord, are you sure they can stomach it? If only Dalreida’s not as conservative, I would’ve been working with flying chariots of fire already. For Bayan and Berania to develop a technology like the Wergom, it only shows how far behind we have been. They even had their own science cities! Fable or not, I can vouch how odd our technological advancement has become because of our great republic's motivations. And don't let me get started with the academic publications industry...”

“Don’t look back when the only course is forward,” was what Piso said before he left the room.

The Chief Researcher looked around for a while, and then wailed, “Wait for me, Lord Piso!”

Meanwhile, the Cingis are immersing themselves with the first phase of the Three Blessings. As tents and horses spread across the Barban countryside like sands in the seashore, the Cingis went all out and celebrated their first string of victories against Dalreida. For the longest time, they viewed the great world powers like walls too difficult to scale. Meanwhile, the powers did not always see them as a nation to reckon with, but more of a band of clans who cannot even get their act together. Today, they saw how they finally demonstrated their newfound strength can match a first-rate nation like Dalreida.

They gathered the captives and used them to satisfy their desires, sexual or otherwise. Nevertheless, it did not seem to slacken their readiness. Seem might be the right word because the Three Blessings proves to be an indulgence for them. Cingis warriors always yearn for a fight, and they are prepared to engage anytime, anywhere, but they also want to enjoy life. In one of the tents, which appeared inconspicuous since it has a strikingly similar look as the others, the charismatic Cingis leader, Gahum Sukhotai of the Copper Horde, was in deep thought as he studied the maps displayed before him. From time to time, he brushed the fur which serves as the jacket covering his felt tunic and leather armor.

Along with these maps, a photograph of Piso can be seen. Just then, his commanders who were called Taumanski of the Copper Horde entered the tent. Like him, they wore animal fur to over their tunic and armor. Perhaps their only difference was Sukhotai's lack of facial hair as all of the Taumanski have an abundance of mustaches and beards. They seem nowhere near sober as they tipsily walked towards him and slumped to sit.

“G-g-great Suk… hotai…,” one of them declared, “Reporti-ch! For duty! Yes, we’re here, rik!”

The thinking Gahum did not notice their state as he was engrossed with strategizing for the war.

“Dalreida’s a big country…,” Sukhotai muttered, “We’ve still got a long way to go, boys.”

“No matter Big G-Kahuma…,” another said, “D-Dalrei… dons’t stand a khance! For the troophs!”

The Gahum slowly traced his finger across Barba through Kamui and Aramathi.

“We can shut Aramathi’s water supply when we take over the entire Lake Bitrana area. It’ll be a matter of time before they crack thanks to the Rabka incident. But the problem lies with Barba. They’ve strengthened their defense line, leaving only this northern passage least defended… But defended nonetheless! Is it a trap to lure us away from Kamui?”

“Kamui to my arms,” one Taumanski shouted as he dragged another to a hug.

“You shmell!” the Taumanski being hugged shouted, “Do it whick your kirl… girlfriend, not me!”

Sukhotai tapped his cheek, “Right… This must be reverse psychology. Our forces would be spread too thin if we try to take on both Barba and Kamui. We’d fall into their hands. But I’m still wary about this northern passage. There’s no settlement marked anywhere near here, and you say these are the latest maps we can get?”

“Sure duh,” the fifth of the Taumanski spoke, “She’sh definitely one oph my latest kongquests!”

“Darn,” the Taumanski beside him pumped his fists, “Dosh Barban girlsh sure arsh shpunky!”

The Taumanski then began arguing about who gained the best personal conquest among them, but they failed to notice that Sukhotai was not joining their little discussion. Instead, he picked up Piso’s photograph and looked at it intently. It features a Piso who has not yet advanced much in age, but clad in the standard armor for the Dalreidan military and bearing a rapier. With him is a child who holds a wooden sword. Piso’s free hand can be seen on the child’s shoulder. Both of them were smiling, which was not the norm for photos at the time.

Sukhotai thought to himself, “You want to play rough in this war, eh? Well then, I’ll see you in the battlefield, Piso.”

Finally, the Gahum was able to perceive the sorry state of his commanders. After giving them a fiery sermon, the Taumanski whipped themselves back to fighting shape within minutes. Then again, even when Sukhotai is the overall commander of the Cingis forces and inspires enormous authority among them, the Taumanski are actually given autonomy on how they maintain their troops. As far as the Three Blessings go, it would take a few more days before the Cingis are ready to take unified action. After all, Sukhotai figured, stalling can also have advantages.

The hanging threat of the Cingis backsword is enough to strike terror in Barba and Aramathi. Many have begun flooding the capitals of Mustaka and Pasco for refuge, while some even chose to cross over the other provinces such as Kandara and Kamui, causing widespread panic and traffic which the republican government has done limited measures to mitigate. It was as if the success against Bereta easily slipped from their minds.

With Piso determined to go to the frontlines once more, what difference can it make for the beaten Dalreidan forces? Why did the Cingis take the initiative to launch a war against Dalreida? Who is the person behind the Chief Researcher?