Chapter 26 Part 2 of 3 (Patreon)

Queen Ikku cut her thumb and placed it on the contract held in her hand, sealing it.

“From now our forces will be the forces of the Willful Institute.”

The nobles started cheering and clapping in agreement with their queen.”

“I look forward to your coming support.”

***

A guard barged into Evernight’s office, she had taken a room onto herself to deal with all the operations in the first realm. Several ‘secretaries were working around the room. In the middle there was a globe showing the first realm. A glass with formations rested on an arm around the globe. The scene under the glass was reflected on the large main table. Pins were added to the globe, reflecting on the table.

He rushed to Evernight’s desk and put down a report.

She picked it up, breaking the seal and started to read. She started to stand up before she had finished reading.

“The Wiellful intsityte has started to move in the first relam. They have been contacting the different nations and forces that surround the beast Mountia Range. Their Target is the outposts and King’s Hill. From now on we must assume that they know some secrets about the beast mountain Range.”

The Intelligence agents all looked up from their reports.

She quickly made a note on a new piece of paper and handed the report and paper to an aid.

“Send this to Alva., In the meantime I want to know what nations were contacted, what their military strength is. Bring me Aditya and Pan Kun.” Her last words were for the guard who bowed, heading out of the office.

“Well lets get to work shall we!”

***

“What are our options?” Old Quan had been pulled into the meeting as well, he stood at the main table in the intelligence departments office.

Pan Kun and Aditya were already there.

Aditya indicated for Pan Kun to talk.

“Fight at the outposts or pull back to King’s Hill. Our Army is as strong as any army in the third realm. If we hold the outposts then they’ll be spread out.”

“What would you need to stop the enemy?” Quan asked.

“Command over all the outposts, maybe use of the teleportation formations, Using equipment and gear from the third realm. High Apprentice, maybe Journeyman.”

“If there are people form the Institute?” Aditya asked.

“Pull back our people to King’s Hill, destroy the outposts and cause beast waves to attack the outposts and beyond. Hit their people as they try to advance with Guerilla tactics until they reach King’s Hill. Get support from Alva. We have around Forty thousand within the Beast Mountain Range Army. If the Willful Institute is brining more than that we won’t be able to hold for very long.”

The door to the room opened, Aditya and Evernight bowed as Pan Kun turned around to see Erik and Glosil enter.

He bowed as well.

“No need for that, we have a fight to plan out,” Erik said.

They rose up as Erik looked at the table, he and Glosil looked pale and drawn.

With such a high stamina to look that tired he must have been working every waking minute.

“We have planned for this kind of attack in the past. The Tiger Battalion is prepared to support. Commander Glosil will be overseeing operations, Colonel Domonos has just returned to Alva and is organizing things there. As we have trained for the Beast Mountain Range Army or BMRA will be an auxiliary to the Alva military.”

“Yes sir,” Pan Kun saluted Commander Glosil who returned it.

“We will go with your poison outpost trap plan,” Glosil said. “Could you explain it?”

Pan Kun nodded and turned to the table.

“The outpost trap plan is simple. We pull back all of our non essential forces to King’s Hill. In the outposts we leave fighting forces with plenty of consumables and the fastest mounts. They will act as a rear-guard. As the enemy attacks they will use spell scrolls and all consumables to wreak as much havoc as possible. Then they will flee the Outpost. The outpost will be removed of all supplies. We will leave traps in the outposts to allow our people to flee.” Pan Kun drew a line down the roads to King’s Hill.

“The road traps will all be activated to make sure that the enemy does not get a clear shot at us. Forces will used the teleportation formations to attack the enemy as they enter the beast Mountain Range.

“There are teleportation formations hidden under each of the outposts. The enemy will probably use some as their forward bases. Teams will sneak into the outposts and into the camps carrying a powerful poison. The poison is slow acting and highly contagious. It uses the human body to multiply and spread. It will quickly spread through the enemy camps and through their lines.” Pan Kun looked to Erik.

“The poison is something that people in the fourth realm would find hard to cure or treat. With so many people attacking us, it will spread fast. Everyone deploying the poison will have tempered their bodies with poison and we will have an antidote in the water and food served to the general population so that our people will not be affected.”

Those around the table had grim looks it wasn’t a fari battle nor was it honorable but it cpould save their lives and the lives of those underneath them.

“It will only last for three days and then die out with many of our enemy. Otherwise if it was to spread to the rest of the first realm, it could wipe out entire populations,” Erik looked at Pan Kun to continue.

“When they are weakened we’ll attack in force, we’ll attack their supply lines. Storage rings are a rarity in the first realm. They’ll have a hard time supplying their armies. It will be a severe blow to their forces. The BMRA will hold in the beast Mountain range while the Alva Military will head into the different kingdoms and nations that have attacked us and steal from their granaries and treasuries. It will destabilize the rulers while through the information networks we increase the unease within the population, arming them and supporting rebellions across the first realm.”

“What if the Institute provides fighters thata re strong enough to overpower us?” Evernight asked.

“Use tools and items to deal with them. Otherwise the Alva Military we deal with them,” Glosil said.

“Prepare everything, I will talk to the outpost lords. Once the different armies start to move then we’ll pull our people to King’s Hill. We’ll have to build King’s Hill up quickly to be ready for war and to bring in more people.”

“We can help create walls underground and your mages just pull them out of the ground, already formed. You have the plans for the next five upgrades to King’s Hill, we’ll work upon that plan,” Glosil offered.

“Seems that we have plenty to keep us busy. I have talked to Elise, she is handling all of the traders through the rtens realm and is meeting with many of them. The traders in the first realm will stop trading with any of the nations that turn against us.” Erik said.

Evernight took in a sharp breath.

“There are some kingdoms and nations that are wholly reliant on our trade. The impact will not be small. They’ll know something is wrong.”

“They have declared war on us. Our traders will start to buy up supplies like food and raw materials immediately.”

***

"Form in your squads. Two lines facing me! Move it!" Bai Ping yelled out at the rabble that were loitering at side of the parade ground.

They stepped onto the parade square their marching made Bai Ping wince nearly as much as their mis-matched outfits.

"Right hand out, size off of the person beside you and infront!"

They bounced like a caterpillar stretching out and getting into some semblance of an organized unit.

"Thank that gods we're not relying on you to do drill! Drop your arms, eyes forward!" The group looked at Bai Ping.

"I am Gunnery Sergeant Bai Ping, this is Staff Sergeants Yi and Baines. You have all tested high in your ability to fight as mages.

Bai Ping waved the quarter masters on, the ex traders went down the lines, checking everyone's ranks and dropping off gear at their feet.

"You are now being issued a belt, three complete uniforms with a weeks worth of underwear, shirts and socks. You're also getting one carrier with a set of plates, boots, helmet, sound transmission device, Repeater crossbow, notepad, pencils as well as formation plates. You will be issued meals and potions upon deployment. They will both be geared towards increasing your mana regeneration. Ammunition for your repeater will be issued at the same time. You will be going into battle in the coming weeks. Everything that we do here could save your life. I do not care who you were before, what you did before. You're all soldiers in Alva's military and we have a reputation that will not fail." Bai Ping Raked them with his eyes. "You will fight for the person beside you, those that you can't even see. Yours is not a glamorous job, but it is necessary and essential to winning."

The quartermasters finished laying out the gear infront of the reservists.

"Alright, grab your shit and get changed, I want you formed up back here in fifteen minutes." A few started running.

"Did I tell you to move yet! Get!" Bai Ping barked.

The shame faced members returned to the formation under his dark eyes. He checked his watch.

"Listen to orders, follow them and you might survive. Act on your own and you will kill those beside you. For my lesson I'll take five minutes.