Rose Empire

Chapter 49: Deployment and Response

Black Wolf couldn't immediately conjure up a hundred or two hundred fierce wolf warriors for Charlotte. After careful consideration, Charlotte decided to call in some favors. She penned letters to both Philip Mellerfield, the Earl of Quirk Forest, and her father, Jose Mellerfield.

In these letters, Charlotte explained that the Bay Viscountcy was under constant attack from over ten thousand mountain tribesmen, and she requested a few dozen knights to help her territory survive the winter.

While seeking assistance, Charlotte also ordered her own knights to prepare for battle and dispatched giant eagles to scout beyond the central line of the Bay Isthmus. During her last trip to the Green Plains Duchy to purchase grain, Charlotte had acquired three giant eagles from Riverside Castle. These eagles, usually used for delivering messages, now served as round-the-clock sentries.

Just as Charlotte was preparing for war, Anbratu also began mobilizing its forces.

Antanas sat atop a magnificent warhorse, radiating confidence.

Recently, Antanas had used his persuasive speaking skills and a clever tactical plan to convince the Citizen Assembly to grant him supreme command authority.

Antanas conscripted seven thousand citizen-soldiers, including a thousand superhumans, which represented nearly all of Anbratu's available military strength at the time. Furthermore, he pressured the Senate to hire a mercenary force for him.

This mercenary group comprised three hundred superhumans from Dorukocha, a city-state south of Anbratu. The mercenaries weren't cheap the Senate's funds were insufficient, forcing Antanas to draw upon his own savings to cover the shortfall.

Was it worth spending his personal fortune?

For Antanas, this was a non-issue.

If he could eliminate Anbratu's two-century-old nemesis in a single battle, he would undoubtedly become the city-state's greatest hero, his prestige soaring to unprecedented heights. At that point, even if he declared himself dictator, a significant portion of the Citizen Assembly would likely support him. Compared to such rewards, a little money was insignificant.

"Are the mercenaries assembled?" Antanas asked Sarius, his assistant standing beside him.

"They are," Sarius nodded, then hesitated. "But…"

"But what?" Antanas inquired.

"The citizen-soldiers are gathering rather slowly," Sarius reported.

"Citizen-soldiers?" Antanas repeated, surprised.

"Yes, only about half of the conscripted citizen-soldiers have assembled. John has gone to hurry them along, but he hasn't returned yet."

Antanas frowned. He had been concerned about the mercenaries' potential lack of commitment, but now the problem seemed to lie with the citizen-soldiers.

"Tell me, why do I have to go to war again? Do you know I've only been home for two months?"

A young man with red eyes shouted at John Rice.

"I know, but… it's the Citizen Assembly's decision," John Rice replied calmly, though his attempt to placate the young man clearly failed.

The young man spat. "The Citizen Assembly, the Citizen Assembly what a load of rubbish."

"You're a citizen too; you shouldn't speak of the Citizen Assembly like that…"

"Am I wrong? What has the Citizen Assembly ever done?" the young man interrupted irritably. "All they do is impulsively decide to join a war, then spend years regretting it. Uncle John, tell me, how long did the Citizen Assembly spend deciding to start this war? Was it even fifteen minutes?"

John Rice couldn't meet the young man's accusing stare.

The young man's name was Avery. John Rice had been friends with Avery's father for years, and he knew exactly what Avery had endured.

Initially, because Anbratu was far from the frontlines of the Leaf Alliance, the alliance hadn't forcibly conscripted Anbratu's citizen-soldiers but had instead sought the Citizen Assembly's opinion. Under the persuasion of a pro-war elder, the assembly had enthusiastically decided to send troops.

Five years ago, Avery, who had just awakened as a one-winged mage, was conscripted to fight on the frontlines of the Leaf Alliance. He was supposed to serve for only a year. However, in the second year, the Citizen Assembly, weary of the ongoing war's losses, began delaying the dispatch of replacement troops, forcing Avery and his cohort to serve an extra year.

Three years ago, the war on the Leaf Alliance's frontlines suddenly intensified. Although the Anbratu Citizen Assembly was tired of war, such matters weren't as simple as joining or quitting at will. Avery, who had just returned home a month prior, was conscripted again.

Last year, shortly after Avery returned home, the Leaf Alliance suffered a major defeat. The Anbratu Citizen Assembly once again called for conscription. Avery's older brother had just replaced him on the frontlines, and Avery, worried for his brother's safety, didn't refuse the call. He returned to the battlefield, only to have his brother die in combat.

In five years, Avery had spent less than five months at home.

Due to the Citizen Assembly's impulsive decisions, many young people shared Avery's experience, especially young superhuman citizens. Though few in number, they were the backbone of the war effort, frequently called upon to fight. Yet, their blood and sacrifices had earned them neither recognition nor honor. Instead, the Citizen Assembly had spent years complaining about the war's burden on the city-state, refusing to honor returning soldiers and even approving the Senate's request to cut their stipends.

How could Avery and others like him muster any enthusiasm for war?

Though he understood their feelings, John Rice sighed, left with no choice but to try and persuade them. "This time is different. If we can destroy Little Sassinian in one swift stroke, the southern coast of the bay will belong solely to Anbratu. Our ships will no longer be hindered, and Anbratu will regain the prosperity it enjoyed two centuries ago. The people of Anbratu and our descendants will remember your deeds for generations!"

Avery was finally moved. He took a deep breath, wiped his face, and said, "Alright, I'll fight. But I'm not fighting for glory or because of the Citizen Assembly's orders. I'm fighting because there are still people like you who truly care about Anbratu."

Avery picked up his weapons and armor and joined the assembly under Antanas's command.

However, there were many young men like Avery, and John Rice had to visit each one to persuade them.

Upon learning of John Rice's difficulties, Antanas, for the first time in a long while, abandoned the airs he had adopted as an elder. He personally visited the reluctant citizen-soldiers, gently urging them to don their armor and even gifting his warhorse to a superhuman veteran.

Having been an elder for so long, Antanas had grown accustomed to the mindset of the upper class. But now, he understood that he had to seize this fleeting opportunity.

After nearly a full day, the citizen-soldiers finally assembled, and Antanas led his army to war.

However, less than half a day into the march, darkness fell. Antanas glanced at the sky but didn't order the army to camp. Instead, he commanded them to press on.

The main road from Anbratu to Little Sassinian followed the narrow plains along the southern coast of the bay. However, Antanas didn't take this well-known route. Instead, he led his troops into the rugged terrain of Horsehead Mountain. The mountain paths were treacherous, and the night made the journey even more difficult. The soldiers grumbled, but Antanas pressed forward relentlessly.

The primitive democratic politics of the city-state meant that Anbratu's military actions were never secret. While Antanas was still persuading the citizen-soldiers to assemble, news of Anbratu's impending attack on Little Sassinian had already reached the latter.

In the council hall of Little Sassinian's Senate, located within the walls of Weishan City, the room was filled with noisy, chaotic voices. All the elders of the Senate were present, along with many citizens who had come upon hearing the news.

"This is slander! We never ordered the execution of those twelve Anbratu prisoners!"

"Exactly! Grass fodder can't kill anyone!"

"I think the Anbratu people staged the burning of their own citizens to create a pretext for war!"

"The Anbratu people are shameless, but surely they wouldn't go that far?"

"No, I think they're just playing the victim!"

…

Finally, a young elder standing on the central podium raised his hand and shouted, "Everyone, please quiet down! We're not here to condemn the Anbratu people's shamelessness but to discuss how to respond to the impending war!"

The hall fell silent, if only briefly.

"We should immediately set up defenses, seal the inner city gates, and have all able-bodied citizens man the walls," one elder suggested.

"We shouldn't seal the gates so hastily. We should at least face the Anbratu army head-on first," another countered.

"Our forces are inferior to Anbratu's. If we're to fight them, we should send for reinforcements from our mother city," yet another suggested.

When the people of Little Sassinian spoke of their "mother city," they usually referred to Sassinian, the city from which their ancestors had migrated. Though Little Sassinian was nominally an independent city-state and no longer paid taxes to Sassinian, the two shared a close historical and blood connection. Initially, Little Sassinian's settlers had managed to seize much of the southern coast of the bay from Anbratu thanks to Sassinian's support.

Thus, at the first sign of crisis, the people of Little Sassinian once again thought to seek help from Sassinian.

However, someone else objected, "No, if we send for reinforcements now, who knows how long it'll take for them to arrive?"

"Then what do you suggest?"

"How should I know?"

"If you don't know, why are you objecting?"

"Why can't I object?"

…

The council hall descended into chaos once more.

The situation was clear: everyone knew Little Sassinian was internally weak, and the news of Anbratu's approaching army had thrown them into panic.

Someone even suggested opening the city gates and allowing the Anbratu army to enter and investigate. If they could prove that the twelve Anbratu citizens hadn't been burned by Little Sassinian, perhaps Anbratu would withdraw.

As the young elder presiding over the meeting struggled to manage the chaos, the door to the council hall creaked open.

A man of average height walked in. His skin was dark, his face lined with wrinkles, and his hair streaked with gray. His shoulders were slightly hunched, and he wore simple cloth clothes and battered leather armor. A plain short sword hung at his waist, making him look like an ordinary veteran one might find on any battlefield.

Yet, his presence drew the attention of nearly everyone in the hall.

The sound of his worn leather boots tapping against the floor echoed like a drumbeat in the hearts of all present.

The hall fell silent, but a small flame seemed to ignite in everyone's heart.

He strode confidently to the central podium.

The young elder on the podium, seeing the old, seemingly impoverished man, was so moved he could barely speak. "A-Apo, sir, you've returned?"

"Yes," the man nodded. "May I have the podium?"

"Of course, please!"

The young elder readily yielded the podium, almost as if he feared the man might change his mind.

The man known as Apo stepped onto the podium and spoke in a deep voice, "Citizens of Little Sassinian, I understand the situation, and I believe you do as well."

"Citizens of Little Sassinian, isn't it clear? We all know we're innocent, but our enemies don't believe us! They don't want to believe us; they only want to destroy us!"

"Citizens of Little Sassinian! The enemy's spear is already at our throats. We can't afford to bicker and hesitate any longer! On the battlefield, a single blink can decide life or death. Will we wait until the enemy's javelins pierce our throats before we decide how to fight back or even whether to fight back at all?"

"Citizens! Citizens who love this city-state! If you're willing to shed your blood for Little Sassinian, then don't hesitate. Go home, put on your armor, and take up your swords and shields!"

"Follow me! Let's cut off the heads of every invader!"

The man drew his sword and pointed it toward Anbratu.

"Roar!"

The citizens in the hall let out a fierce roar, surging out of the Senate like a flood.

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