“There existed only a fine line between confidence and arrogance, and far too many people have stepped over it unawares.” - Saying attributed to Xaliburnus the Conqueror, First Emperor of the Elmaiya Empire.

Generals in the Empire were mostly divided into three ranks, typically just called the low general, middle general, and high general, with responsibilities that corresponded with their rankings. A middle general like Kang Lu-Shih wouldn’t normally be placed over a hundred thousand strong force, typically made to command a smaller sub-army under a high general instead, but the circumstances of their invasion had made him commander of the early parts of the invasion into Kolitschei territory.

The main reason was because the high general in charge of his army happened to be incensed by the stubborn enemies in the former royal capital of Oleynuos and decided to personally command that siege instead of leaving it to one of her subordinates. Now that the high general had returned, Lu-Shih returned to his usual position as a subordinate commander.

Not that her return was pleasant for him. Lu-Shih had received heavy reprimands over the delay in taking over the enemy fort, as well as for having “misplaced” military documents, as he had lost several maps and other correspondence from his desk during the peculiar night when an unusual attack struck his army. That attack caused little in terms of actual deaths, but was most definitely the culprit for his current predicaments.

Due to that attack, he was forced to practically isolate several units from his army since nobody could stand being too close to the stench that seemed to have infused into their bodies, though thankfully the horrific smell eased up and vanished after several weeks. Other than that, the outbreak of itchy rashes that troubled a significant part of the army was likely also related to the inexplicable event.

His army’s doctors and healers had to spend a lot of effort before they managed to concoct a cure for those rashes, time and effort that were inevitably taken away from other matters.

Because of that single event, morale plummeted and his army’s coordination notably decreased, and he only managed to get them back into shape shortly before the high general’s force – fresh from a decisive victory at Oleynuos – joined his. He guessed that the way the stubborn defenders suddenly absconded in the middle of the night after the high general arrived, leaving only a likely volunteer group to make their last stand and buy time for the rest, had further irritated her.

While Lu-Shih was aware that his mistakes were indeed worth a reprimand – and that unless he managed to contribute enough merit to outweigh them he might be further punished for them once they returned to the Empire – he still felt that the high general could at least spare the condescending attitude where she treated him as if he was just a worm squirming beneath her feet or something.

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But then again, the hag was from old Aqwa nobility, while Lu-Shih himself reached his current rank through effort and hard work, having worked his way from a minor officer, which was something only made possible by the current Emperor. His rise had a lot to do with his support of the Huan people, like Lu-Shih, allowing them to occupy higher and more important positions whereas in the past they were relegated to an unofficial second class by the ruling Aqwas.

The Emperor was fine enough for an Aqwa bastard, most Huan people felt, but the high general – whose family had sided with the Emperor during the fight for the throne – was still a haglike wretch from hell, nonetheless, an epitome of the stereotype the Huan people often slapped onto the Aqwa nobility.

Put simply, a raging bitch.

“So this is the rabble that gives you so much trouble, general Kang?” he heard the High General say from atop her steed to his right. High General Zabibah Taouan might have been considered a pretty woman in her youth, but somehow Lu-Shih doubted it. The Aqwa woman looked the sort who had a near-permanent condescending look on her face, as if she was above everyone and everything, and he didn’t know many men who were into that.

“It shames me to admit that these are the same foes, High General,” he said diplomatically nonetheless. He was not foolish enough to further irritate or incense the already temperamental High General, regardless of whether she got her position due to nepotism or otherwise. It was also unwise to act smart against someone with the power to punish him and likely write it off, to boot.

“Mere earthen ramparts and defenses, pfah,” said the High General as she spat towards the enemies arrayed in the distance. “Not even that many of them, either. I was hoping for a proper challenge, you know?” she added. Granted, the arrayed enemy force couldn’t have numbered more than a hundred thousand, likely a good bit less than that, and the Imperial army under their command had well over a hundred and fifty thousand soldiers, even after all the soldiers they left behind to garrison their conquest or for treatment of their injuries.

“These enemies have shown willingness to use…more unconventional tricks, High General,” warned Lu-Shih nonetheless, as he remembered all too well of the chaos during the night when the incident happened. “They likely put up some cowardly traps in preparation for our arrival.”

“It is of no matter. Nothing shall stand before the Imperial army. Our conquest of this continent is foreordained, so said His Imperial Majesty. Who are these lowly curs to defy his will?” said the High General with a dismissive scoff. “Here, today, we will first teach this land’s craven inhabitants to fear our might. It is their fortune to become property of the empire, who do they think they are to dare say otherwise?”

“Infantry, first and second unit, forward! Climb up that hill of theirs and show how meaningless their paltry defenses are before the tides of our courage! Cavalry, first to third units, break through the road and circle behind them. We should strive to annihilate these cretins as fast as we could to keep to His Imperial Majesty’s wishes!”