***

--- Sadera ---

Date: July 14th, 2026

Empress Altoria Famulis stood, towering over the large table with figures representing the League and NATO on top of a massive map. She watched her husband, Zorzal El Caesar, and his war council circled around a large table as they debated their next course of action, carefully listening to every piece of information. The daily topic had become routine; NATO took territory, threatening the collapse of the League. Only a few areas on the map showed a glimmer of hope, but only a suggestion.

On a normal day, the war council would meet at a beautiful large room with pillars made out of marble. Silk clothes draped from the ceiling with a gorgeous view of the city. All represent the might of the Empire and its legacy. Now, being scared of the random strikes against the city from the enemy’s long-ranged weapons, everyone sheltered in the now renovated old dungeons for safety from airstrikes and missile strikes. No one wants to look out the balcony and witness the smoke emitting from the key economic centers or storages of the city.

When the mailing wyvern arrived two days ago, panic erupted throughout the Imperial halls; the Fall of Rondel along with the news that the capital of the Dwarven Kingdom of Golrash within the Dumas Mountains had been discovered by the enemy, emphasized the fact the enemy was now another step closer to their doorstep. At this point, they could now surmise that a siege was now inevitable. Typically, one could assume a siege would last a few months, based on the history of Falmart. However, the short history with this enemy showed that the old rules of warfare no longer applied, probably only lasting a few days, a week at most.

It became the final straw for much of the population as many fled east. The Oprichnina’s propaganda campaign has seemed too be effective in framing the Other Worlders as murderous demons who wished to rob them of their wealth property, starve them of food, and more. The worst of theories spread throughout the city streets like wildfire.

It was expected that the city of Rondel could have repelled NATO forces and subdue the population. Losing the great magical city was not acceptable as most of the Empire's magical industry and research were conducted there as well as the fact that magic is the only thing so far that provides the League a means to stand some chances against NATO even though it is minimal.

However, what the letters from Rondel stated baffled and scared everyone. It took multiple reads as Famulis mind kept rejecting what she was reading but with each read, the facts did not disappear. Demon was summoned and nearly decimated the city, almost killing everyone. Once reading that, she knew it was Darlko's doing. However, she never knew they had that ability.

"We must act now!" Herm said. "If the 14th Legion can betray us, then anyone can!"

"Don't read too much into it." Calasta Helvius replied. "Pepreos has always been more loyal to Rondel than the Empire’s cause. Him siding with your sister is a show of weakness and desperation rather than an act of strength."

"Don't be a fool, Calasta." Famulis retorted. Looking toward her husband, she said, "Your sister is becoming a major issue. Having the 14th side with her and Rondel doing the same gives her clout for her revolutionary effort."

"Nonsense," Herm replied. "All this means-."

A small red figure was tossed across the table by Zorzal from frustration. He watched as all chatter subsided and then said, "My Empress is correct. What kept the Army and our alliance together this long was the fact that we were the only option."

"Let us not forget that this is the third traitorous General we had in this war, Pepreos being the most recent," Woody said.

What Woody La Caerellius, the General of the Imperial Army said, froze everyone. One crazy general with personal motivation could be seen as a fluke as every war has its traitors. The imperial elite could ignore Krysist and the Rose-Order of Knights as traitors. Everyone hoped that Legatus Propraetor Pelue Muilk would be the only traitor, especially after how the Oprichnina murdered him and his family. But if a well-respected man like him could change his allegiance, anyone could. With Pepreos gone to the enemy, it was only a matter of time as more Legions lay down their arms at best case, actively siding with the enemy at worst.

Famulis glanced toward Mortimer Gummus, the Ticaret Conglomerate representative. As the head of his House, his power has always come from economics. With Zorzal trade proposals and the promise of riches from the other side of the Gate, Mortimer couldn’t resist joining the war.

The Ticaret was a priority of Zorzal as they specialized in defensive warfare. Based on the fat man's facial expression, he has the same thought she does; the war was lost. The little victories earned by the League against NATO have only come from small skirmishes and even then those have been costly. Even with a win or even stall the enemy advance, the ability to capitalize on that is ruined by the quick reaction time from the enemy, making all gains irreverent. The largest alliance Falmart had ever seen, all once historical rivals, now allied on a sinking ship. The idea was to unite and protect Falmart from a common enemy, radically reshaping every aspect of civilization.

Famulis sighed before addressing everyone in the room. "For now, let's be proactive in keeping any more desertion within our ranks. Do we know of any other Generals or Legatus in the field that might change their allegiance?" Famulis asked.

Woody pointed toward the Elies Region and said, "Legatus Fabius. He served under Muilk and rallied what was left of the Imperial Army in the region after Legrath fell. He is currently leading the Ticaret reinforcements in protecting what is left of our territory within the region. According to what little reports we get from there is that he has been incredibly passive on the battlefield."

"Fabius? Is that the low houseman?" Calasta asked. "The one who married a Neko?"

“Hah!” Gummus chuckled. “No wonder we are in such a state; the once mighty Empire has grown weak. Letting even one of your leadership to wed such a disgusting race. You should have let my kind take command."

"There was no way we would ever let your kind take command," Woody stated boldly. "Elies is an Imperial territory, and we have been fighting far longer against NATO."

"Your point is, old man?" Guumus responded. "Your age is showing. The Seckin Sanctum once feared you, but if they could see you now. The Emperor here ordered the slaughter of half of the army, which resulted in Legrath falling in a single night. There is no reason why we should not believe that Fabius will become a traitor after what you have done."

An argument broke out among the leaders. Each side threw insults, pointed out failures and what the League should do next. The Oprichnina lead, Praetor Svenhard Lupus Moon, broke the argument.

"There was no choice," Moon coldly stated. "The corruption of Krysist's influence drove deep among the ranks. If we had done nothing, we would have had a massive army led by both Krysist and Muilk against Sadera; possibly with Pina leading them as Empress."

“It seems that all you did was delay the inevitable. Like the current situation we are facing?" Famulis pointed out. Seeing the hatred glowing out of Moon's eyes after the death of his wife. Being one of the few men she continued to respect within Sadera, it is becoming clear that his focus was toward seeking revenge.

"Let's remain focused." Zorzal ordered.

"Focused?" Gummus repeated. "Our lines of supply and communication are now in jeopardy with Knappnai under risk of assault. All they have to do is drive north. And when that happens, not only you will be cut off from your men in the Elies, my men and I on this side of the Dumas will also be cut off from Ticaret."

"I highly doubt they will overstretch like that," Calasta said. "But it means it will take longer to coordinate our forces."

"Besides, it will take time for NATO to establish itself in Rondel," Herm said. "Assuming the reports are true, that city is in complete ruins. Taking care of the city's most basic needs will be a major logistics burden."

Calasta laughed and added, "Then this could be a blessing in disguise. The Other Worlders' hearts are weak, and they will sink resources into saving them. It will give us the breathing room we need for a major strike."

Hearing another of Calasta’s incompetence, Famulis could not hold back any longer and snapped. “By the gods! Could you please stop being so idiotic, Calasta?!”

"Any little gain of having that city being destroyed won't mean anything in the next couple of months, maybe less! Every city across Falmart will hear the tale of how the League destroyed one of their own cities, the oldest and well-respected cities nonetheless. And who saved them? The Other Worlders. They defeated a Demon that our allies summoned and now will be credited with bringing them wealth, security, and prosperity. Every count, king, chieftain, even peasant, all flock to their side. They will rally toward Pina and the senators that fled just to end the madness."

With a long silence, Woody spoke, "Speaking of which, where is the Darlko's representative? They need to explain themselves after this treachery. They promised to save the city from our enemies, not destroy it!"

Looking toward the Emperor, Famulis could see the frustration from her husband. While no one wanted to say it, the reality was that Darlko betrayed them, using the war to destroy their historical rival, Rondel. Some people in the room even went as far as accusing Darlko of hoping that Sadera would have no choice but to pardon them should they succeed in completely destroying Rondel, thinking that the Empire wouldn’t want losing their only main college of mages that they had left. The rallying call that united the continent together in less than a year had collapsed. The question was why.

While Zorzal El Caesar is very different from his father, he was still Molt Sol Augustus' son. That bloodline was not accustomed to defeat and surrender. A lesson Famulis learned the hard way all those years ago when she was forced to surrender.

"The Dwarves cannot hold out forever; when they fall, then there will be nothing standing between us and NATO," Famulis said. "We are losing our hold in the west. Even with my army reinforcing our southern flank, I do not see us striking the real threat, that Gate. With Rondel gone, we lost our only chance to close the Gate, and I have no faith in Darlko representing our interests. It is now or never. We should surrender."

The room fell silent from Famulis' proposal. She could see the dread in everyone's eyes. It seemed like the idea crossed everyone's mind at some point, and she couldn’t blame them. It had been over a year since they started a war against NATO, but they had to contend with some victories compared to NATO’s countless. While the recent issue of Rondel now siding with the enemy and the fact that Darlko conspired behind their back hit the Empire’s morale quite hard, they were only two of the plethora of problems they had. They had lost their most productive agricultural region while foodstuffs from other regions got massively disrupted by NATO’s incessant airstrikes on land routes and bridges, causing mass shortages of food and spiking their prices. This also caused the Empire’s currency, Suwani and Sinku, to tank in value; sending the Empire’s economy into a downward spiral.

Weapons shipments from local blacksmiths and other regions also got seriously hampered by said airstrikes. With Golrash, the only producer of weapons that were effective against NATO forces and their war machine to some degree, was now at the risk of falling into NATO’s hands. Rumors from spies and traders revealed that the City-States that surrounded the Gate were being officially annexed by the lead country, the United States of America.

Based on the map and what little reports Sadera could receive from the front, it was clear that NATO was slicing the heart of the Empire into puppet regimes like in Elies. Seeing the enemy's grand strategy, it was clear they were using the war to form smaller puppet states to better manage territory and spread its influence throughout the lands.

Now with Rondel on the list that was conquered, it was clear to Famulis that if the war continued, more territory would be sliced away. Now, she had no idea what the true intent of this strategy was, either annexing it which she doubts, grant them independence like in Elies and Elbe, but more likely, give the territory to Pina to reward her new Republic movement.

But they couldn’t verify it thanks to the loss of the Haryo’s spy network in Alnus. That being said, rumors were, in some cases, a lot more terrifying compared to facts. As the people who heard about them tend to hyperbolize them. This made the local lords and citizens in the neighboring regions to Alnus seriously consider switching sides, forcing the Oprichnina to spread themselves thin and work around the clock.

And speaking of ‘switching sides’, Famulis had received the reports from Oprichnina spies attached to some units of the Ticaret contingent. They overheard some leaders and high ranking officers of the smaller contributors to the Ticaret Contingent considering whether they could switch sides to NATO; tempted by all of the technologies and agricultural products that local NATO allies had been receiving as well as having their agriculture production boosted by a thousand fold among other life-improving goods. Some simply wanted to stop fighting in this fool’s errand of a war. The only thing that was stopping them from doing so was the Falmart League treaty that they had signed, and was overseen by the apostle of Deldort, Martimus Onur himself. They did not know what would happen to them should they violate the treaty. As much as they wanted to escape the sinking ship, they didn’t want to find out the consequences of violating the treaty that was overseen by the apostle of the god of covenants, Deldort, the hard way.

Famulis glanced at Gummus, sitting at a distance away with a bleak expression similar to the rest of everyone in this room. She had brought up the issue of the possible desertion within Ticaret’s ranks to him, but all she got from him was that he would take care of it. Looking back and looking at him right now, Famulis could guess that deep down in his mind, he was trying to figure out how to cut his losses. And if possible, escape the sinking ship the Falmart League had become.

All in all, the situation was bleak for the Empire and the Falmart League.

"We cannot," Herm replied. "Surrender means the head of everyone in this room. These animals will not accept anything less at this point."

"Not unless we agree to go into exile," Famulis said. "We can-."

"There will be no exile."

Hearing a voice echo throughout the chamber, everyone looked around. The guards pulled out their swords but saw no intruder.

"Who is there!? Show yourself!" Zorzal demanded.

Seeing Gummus's fearful reaction, Famulis turned around. A large warlock walked through the door like it was not there. One moment she could see through the person but he then materialized. A guard charged forward but was suddenly engulfed in flames.

The Warlock glanced toward the other guards, almost as if warning them not to interfere. The screams from the burning guard echoed throughout the chamber, rattling everyone.

"Stand down," Zorzal ordered. "Lord Valker, show yourself?"

Valker approached the table, delaying his reply, making sure everyone understood who was in control of the situation. Once he reached it, he said, "I figured once you learned what happened in Rondel you would get cold feet. I am here to tell you that if you refuse to continue the war, you will not be pleased with the consequences."

"What is the meaning of this?!" Famulis spat, baffled by Valker’s audacity. "You think you can come in here and command us?! After what you did in?! And what consequences? If there’s anyone in this room who should be considering the consequences of their action, it should be you!" Valker merely glanced over to her before looking away, annoyed by what she said.

"There is more in motion than you realized," Valker said flatly, undeterred by Famulis’ outburst and the atmosphere from everyone else in the room. Some were afraid of him, some were angry of what he and Darlko did to Rondel, while most showed the combination of both. "Hardy believed she could prevent us by summoning the Gate, but she only sealed her fate. What happened to Rondel was only one of many steps by the gods in their grand transformation."

"Oh, really? And which part was the gods' plan? The complete destruction of Rondel, or that Rondel sided with the enemy? Or did that plan on allowing an unstoppable force from coming here, slaughtering our armies." Famulis asked Valker with a sarcastic tone, but her facial expression showed that she was seriously demanding an explanation from him. Valker only looked at Famulis with a much more annoyed look than before, which Famulis responded to with her own.

With a loud bang against the table by Zorzal's fist, he leaned forward and yelled, "To hell with the gods! I am the Emperor of Falmart. My duty was to protect my people and their station! Ever since this war began the gods have done nothing to help us! If they truly were on our side, then they would have intervened long ago."

"Your duty has only been to protect your playhouse within this city, young Emperor," Valker said. "The gods have never abandoned you; there are factions you know nothing about. Zufmuut opposes the Creator's will.

“I don’t care, Valker!” Zorzal said angrily. "The Empire is not a tool for your agenda!"

"We are all tools for the Gods," Valker replied. "They have already spoken and set everything in motion. The gods will be freed from his grasp, and you will obey their will."

"And what is this will? And who is this so-called ‘Creator’?" Famulis asked.

***

--- unknown camp near the Arugo Ruins, Elies Region ---

Date: July 14th, 2026

Looking at the regional map of Elies, Legatus Fabius Aulus watched his aides move the colorful figures that represent the Falmart League and NATO positions. Dividing the two sides was the large Agaront Stream. The enemy occupied the southern bank of the stream with his forces defending the small part around Thaluilas.

Once Legrath and Havcristen fell, Fabius had been trying to exploit gaps within the changing frontlines, funding the insurgency throughout the region. The tactic at first seemed to work in delaying any more advances from the Other Worlders, as they were forced to adjust to the role of occupier rather than the aggressor. The more soldiers he could force NATO to send patrolling the streets, the less he had to worry about being attacked.

That was until his ally, the formal Duke Mettius Fla Agonix of the Elies Region, was somehow discovered. The duke was secretly supporting the insurgents in the NATO occupied territory of Elies; however, his ego got the better of him. With the enemy assassination of the duke(1), they also discovered many of the insurgent's locations and uncovered the alliance they had with the Adventurer Guild.

Everything collapsed after that. Fabius' supply lines to and from the insurgents were slowly cut and a NATO alliance with the Mercantile and Farming Guilds, backed by the Darfellan Clan, Nater Da Akilu, was formed. The occupied houses agreed that Nater would become the new duke, and all agreed to the Falmart Economic Trade Agreement or FETA.

Nater had been bold in his speech, speaking of the failures of the old regime and the benefits of the new one, adopting a mercantile style of economics. The focus was on individual trading among the commerce rather than the aristocracy. The key point of paid labor over slave labor is to stimulate economic output and development.

To add more to Fabius’ headache, his forces and him, along with the citizens of Thaluilas could only look in envy as the territories within NATO’s sphere of influence enjoy bountiful harvests, while they slowly drained their own coffers dry to purchase foodstuffs and other perishable goods from other regions to the west to combat food shortages. With the trade ban on any NATO aligned territories made by the late Emperor Molt and continued by Emperor Zorzal was in effect, he couldn’t procure foodstuffs from merchants coming from those territories. Fabius couldn’t help but to think that the Empire had shot itself in the foot with that ban. But then again, even if there was no such ban, there was no way that NATO would let them fill their bellies with foodstuffs coming from NATO’s territories. Raiding was also out of the question, as he knew that launching any kind of attack would be a suicidal move for the participating units at best, and risking his entire forces at worst. Smuggling was also out of the question, since his connections to the insurgents inside NATO’s territory were now practically reduced to nothing..

However, the new duke made one key point in his speech that scared Fabius, security. Historically, despite officially being the Empire’s territory, the region had always been a major battleground all year round. Raids from barbarians, bandits, monsters, The Ticaret Conglomerate, the Swestual kingdom, and other groups were common in the Ellies region. The Imperial Army had to invest huge amounts of resources to protect the region, usually conducting brush wars to protect the people, albeit with less than satisfactory results. Some said that the rogue groups simply add in numbers for every one the Imperial Army eliminated. Some accused the army of being half-hearted in their effort by simply driving off the rogue groups most if not all the time, calling it a job done, and yet still had the audacity to ask for compensation for the said ‘job done’. Whatever the true reasons were, the bottom line didn’t change. They were never able to defeat them for good.

A key promise from NATO was to end the barbarians and monsters once and for all. Earls in the region around Alnus, Italica, and Valtris saw a major reduction in raids. Goblin hordes were slaughtered or driven deep into the mountains. Barbarians and bandits cut down, and wandering monsters purged. In a short period of time, the vast technological advantage of the enemy did what the full might of the Empire never could. A region with no fear of raids was attractive to everyone. From the peasantries, the merchants, all the way to the dukes.

Even with the strong propaganda machine of the Oprichnina, they have no real counter to such a reality. A reality that could be seen by living in NATO’s territory or simply by visiting it. Over time, it had become harder and harder for him to convince people how siding with the enemy was bad when they lived without fear of dying and prospered economically.

On principle, Fabius Aulus enjoyed the dream of his home being at peace forever. However, he refused to sacrifice his men.

"You spend more time staring at that map than you do at me," Lartia teased.

Noticing a midnight blue-furred Neko approach the table, Fabius looked up to see her placing a cup of beer on the table. His lovely wife always took care of him. This war had taken much of his time, especially after Fabius was forced to take command of the situation. "Thank you." he said, eagerly accepting his wife’s offer

Taking a drink from the mug, Fabius looked back toward the large map, trying to figure out what to do next. "Now I know how Pelue felt."

"What do you mean?" Lartia asked.

"Being in a no-win situation." Fabius replied. He remembered when Legatus Propraetor Pelue Muilk was with his war council, debating with his generals on what to do against the unstoppable force. On one hand, Muilk had the duty to continue the fight while, on the other, he knew that there was no chance of winning.

At first, Fabius believed his former mentor was crazy for accepting General Krysist's assistance, even after how he betrayed the Empire. However, throughout the campaign, it proved to be the right decision. Muilk told him that following Krysist's plan would have resulted in saving Elies and the Army; that was until the Oprichnina slaughtered them and everyone else that they considered loyal to them, while ordering the rest of the Imperial Army to continue this fool’s errand.

"You will find a way around this. I know you will." Lartia reassured him. "I just want you to remember what we will do after this."

Confused, Fabius looked toward his wife. "After what? Going to the city is too much of a risk."

Chuckling, looking toward the table, Lartia started probing a figurine, trying to tip it over playfully. "No, silly. After the war. I can see the stress, but I want you to remember what we planned to do after all of this."

The mind can be a funny thing. Able to recall thoughts from decades ago with ease; however, some memories you desire the most are lost forever. While knowing the conversation she was talking about, Fabius struggled to remember the details as his mind was filled with the war.

"A house in the hills, looking down at the town," Lartia reminded him. "A large courtyard for the younglings to play, safe within our walls."

"Ahh yes," Fabius said, looking back toward the table. Remembering that once his time in the Imperial Army was complete, and he gained his wealth, he wanted to start an export business to sell the family’s wine. He had nearly forgotten that promise. Considering the situation he found himself in now almost made all that seem so irrelevant. With the war going so horribly, he wasn't even sure he’d come out of it still in one piece. "That feels like so long ago."

"I know." Lartia said, tipping over the figure. "But isn't that why you don't want to blindly fight? What you said to me a few months ago in bed, what is the point in dying pointlessly in this war if it will result in nothing."

Placing his hand on his wife's back, Fabius slowly rubbed as he thought what life could be like after the war. ‘Was this dream even achievable now?’ he thought to himself as he solemnly glared back onto the map.

As Fabius turned to her, he caught a glimpse of concern in his wife’s eyes. He could tell that she tried to hide it behind her smile and realized she was trying her hardest to remain strong. “Believe me, Lartia, we will make it through this struggle. I will get you that home that you deserve, and when this is all over, we will have as many children as you desire to fill it,” he reassured her as he pulled her in closer with a warm-felt hug. “Just keep your faith in me. Without it, I do not think I would have the strength to keep moving forward.”

Lartia merely smiled back and kissed him. “You had stuck with me when I was at my lowest. So now, as your wife, I will always be here by your side as well. You will always have my trust and my love.”

Fabius smiled back and was about to give her another kiss until they heard a conversation outside his underground bunker. Fabius looked toward the door as a guard quickly opened the door; he saw a fairy rush in.

The fairy rushed over, hovering as he panted. He tried to speak, but words struggled to come forth.

"Catch your breath, fairy," Fabius ordered as he offered a bit of his drink. "Gather your words."

Taking a sip from the pint of beer, the fairy started breathing normally. "My Legatus, word from the front. The Ticaret launched an attack against a NATO strike group!"

His heart nearly jumped out of his chest. "What?!"

---

The sound of cheering soldiers could be heard as they marched back into camp. Imperial soldiers were coming out of their trenches and underground barracks to see what the commotion was all about.

Lord Gagnog Sand Shield found it humorous seeing Imperial Legionaries devolved to hiding in the ground. Once the masters of land warfare, now too afraid to see the sky. While they were allies, for now, he could not help but be pleased by the degrading sight of their traditional enemies.

Legionaries watched as Gagnog and Saskax Fury Skin of the Easter Salamanders forces marched with their heads held high from their newest victory. For months everyone else had suffered defeat after defeat after defeat. Fabius' none engagement unless no choice strategy has not resulted in a single victory.

Noticing the Legatus approaching, the dwarf enjoyed the thought of embarrassing his rival commander. As a dwarf, he hated waiting for the enemy to make the first move, preferring to take charge and attack, not cowering.

Gagnog had noticed the friction between Fabius and the Oprichnina regarding their strategy of the war. The former wanted to remain passive while the latter wanted to be more aggressive.

After getting off his war goat, Gagnog approached the Legionaries and spoke loudly and proudly, "To my fellow comrades! We, the Ticaret, went on the offensive and stopped the enemy while they were setting up a camp on our side of the river."

"Believe my comrades, I have proven we can defeat them!" Gagnog said. "Follow me to victory. No more sleeping in the mud, passively allowing the days to pass by. We will take the fight to the enemy and do what we should have-." Gagnog stopped in his speech when he noticed Fabius striding over to him.

"My, nice to see you come and welcome me after my victory." Gagnog said. To his surprise, Fabius grabbed him and punched him so hard he fell to the ground. Both sets of guards pulled swords, preparing for battle. "What is the meaning of this?! We are allies!"

"Allies?!" Fabius shockingly said. "You betrayed my orders, you dirt-loving dwarf! Do you have any idea what you just did?!"

"Boosted your army’s morale but also gave them something to look forward to," Gagnog replied smugly. He stood up, rubbing off the blood from his lip. "You are a coward of a leader!"

"I kept everyone alive!" Fabius said. "Your stunt puts everyone here at risk. You lead them to this outpost; you lead them right to us!"

Gagnog understood what Fabius feared, watching that man glancing toward the sky. The Volraden behind everyone used its superior hearing to listen for the enemy’s machines.

The story was that the Other Worlders could see everything from their eyes in the sky from their aircraft. The Empire had made many claims regarding NATO’s abilities, half of which he assumed were overblown. However, based on Volraden's lack of reaction, it seemed like no counter-attack was approaching.

"If I did, then where are they?" Gagnog asked. "Look around, no attack. You have been hiding in the trees, accomplishing nothing. It almost seems like you are intentionally helping the enemy by keeping us idle. You do not want to win the war."

"If I wanted to help the enemy, I would have surrendered to them long ago before you even arrived here, you arrogant bastard!" Fabius retorted. "Your entire force could have been wiped out."

"But we did not get wiped out," Gagnog replied. "We pushed the enemy back. With only a few casualties, they fled into their flying wagons and went back across the river with their tail between their legs."

"And that is it?" Fabius asked, baffled by the story. "What about their air-power? Their transport wagons are never unescorted. Or why did they not use their artillery? You are saying you just charged against their forces, forced them to flee, and that was it? And how many of them did you kill exactly? And at the cost of how many of your men?"

"Do not lecture me on the ways of war!" Gagnog boldly said, hating how the Imperial was talking down toward him in front of his men.

Saskax approached, using his superior strength to force Fabius back. "Show respect. We did not come here to sit back and wait for defeat."

"Do not forget your station, lizard!" Fabus ordered, stepping close to Saskax, showing no fear. "When I give an order, all of you will obey it. Never go around me again!"

"They did not go around you. They were acting under my orders."

Looking over, Gagnog saw a gray-fur Leonoid called Katsuo. He was the highest-ranking Oprichnina in the region.

Fabius turned to face the lionoid with great anger and said, "You did what?!"

"My spies discovered the outpost being constructed." Katsuo said. "It was a perfect opportunity to strike back. And look, we achieved a small victory." He extended his hand, pointing toward the Legionaries that were watching. "Are you going to tell your men that winning battles was wrong?"

Crossing arms, Gagnog couldn't help but chuckle, watching Legatus being humiliated in front of his men. The trap was set, and Fabius walked into it, and now his goal of becoming leader of the Elies front was closer.

As Fabius and his guards left, Gagnog looked toward Katsuo and smiled, seeing their plan in motion.

From afar, Albon, one of the leaders of the Ticaret force, looked at the scene with disgust

“Fools! The Legatus was preventing you two from digging your own graves all along! I cannot believe these two have learned nothing until now.” Albon said in frustration, barely containing his anger to shout at everyone in the camp.