Imperial Year 2514, August.
Over the next few months, both Bretonnia's Knight King Ryan, the Empire's Emperor Karl Franz, Nordland's self-proclaimed King Duke Theodoric Gausser, and Kislev's Ice Queen Tsarina Katarin remained on high alert, deeply wary of the barbarians' massive gatherings and strange silence. Northern human realms continued to dispatch scouts and spies to Norsca, eager to confirm whether the barbarians truly intended to launch a large-scale invasion to the south.
Estalia and Tilea, on the other hand, maintained their usual detached stance, as if this northern trouble was of no concern to them.
Initially, the human realms remained intensely vigilant. Soldiers were stationed along their borders, and Bretonnia, Kislev, and the Empire held several joint councils to strategize responses. They even exchanged envoys to coordinate potential alliances.
However, what happened next took everyone by surprise.
A battle broke out! A large-scale conflict erupted… but not with the barbarian invasion everyone feared.
Instead, the Norscan pirate fleets and the Dark Elves' Black Ark fleets clashed ferociously on the Chaos Sea. Hundreds of Norscan dragon ships engaged the Dark Elves' Black Ark fleet in a brutal naval battle that ended inconclusively.
Shortly afterward, Valkia the Bloody, wife of the Blood God, led a Chaos army of over 35,000 troops to wage war against the Dark Elves of Naggaroth. The invasion caught the Dark Elven kingdom, ruled by Witch King Malekith and Witch Queen Morathi, off guard, breaching their carefully fortified northern defenses. The barbarians sacked several Dark Elf fortresses, advancing toward Hellebron's capital, Har Ganeth, and the key fortifications of Clar Karond and Wrath Peak. The Chaos forces even established a Chaos fortress named Icehold within the Dark Elves' cursed forests to mark their victories.
Malekith was forced to recall his forces, including the fleet he had prepared for an assault on the Archipelago of Osuan. He ordered his lieutenant, Malus Darkblade, to lead the Dark Elven army against Valkia's Chaos forces. The blood of Dark Elves and Chaos tribes alike spilled across the icy plains of Naggaroth.
Initially, Valkia's forces had the advantage, as the Blood God's bride was never short of heavily armored berserkers devoted to Khorne. However, the Dark Elves were battle-hardened warriors, and the 95,000 soldiers stationed along their northern defenses were among the Druchii's most elite and seasoned fighters. Gradually, the Dark Elves stabilized the situation, halting the Chaos assault.
It wasn't long before nearly every human kingdom received intelligence confirming that the Norscan tribes had responded to a call from the Chaos Wastes, gathering their entire might for a decisive battle with the Dark Elves.
"So that's it! The barbarians aren't preparing for war against us—they're heading to face the Dark Elves in a showdown!"
With this revelation, the leaders of the Old World heaved a collective sigh of relief. Imperial Elector Counts rejoiced, some even celebrating with feasts.
"Excellent! Let the savages and those dark-hearted fiends fight each other!"
At the Imperial capital of Altdorf, the Empire Palace hosted a session of the Imperial Council.
Each year, the Emperor's Reiksguard Knights paraded through the capital, allowing citizens to witness the might of the Emperor's elite guards. This inspection was usually conducted by the Reiksmarshal, a tradition that traced back to the early days of the Reiksguard, serving as a symbol of a knight's acceptance into the order.
For nobles seeking influence within the Imperial Court, it was a grand occasion to bathe in honor and witness a tradition that dated back to an era when the Reiksguard's training and evaluation were less formal.
Emperor Karl Franz inspected the loyal Reiksguard during the day, leaving him with a weary smile plastered on his face, unsure if he could manage any expression besides smiling.
However, there was no rest for the Emperor. That evening, he convened a cabinet meeting.
His closest ministers gathered, and Karl glanced around the room with a hint of disappointment. "Gelt couldn't make it?"
"Our Chief Supreme Wizard and Alchemist sent word, saying he's currently tied up with a critical gunpowder experiment, but he has offered advice not to let our guard down," reported Walfen, Head of Imperial Intelligence, cautiously. "Yet the intelligence we've gathered confirms that the barbarians are indeed warring with the Dark Elves in the frozen lands of Naggaroth, and the Norscans are mobilizing their main forces to join them."
"So your suggestion is to relax our vigilance?" Reiksmarshal Kurt Helborg, bristling with frustration, retorted loudly. "Have you forgotten that these barbarians, who've sold their souls to the Dark Gods, have no honor or loyalty? Who's to say they won't suddenly turn on us?"
"We can't continue like this!" Walfen fired back. "The intelligence is clear. Yes, we should remain vigilant, but it's already August, Helborg—take a look at your own whiskers—it's August!"
"August?" Helborg blinked, momentarily caught off guard.
"The harvest is nearly upon us, Marshal," Finance Minister Lady Hawkswolf interjected, casting a disapproving glare at Helborg, as if she were addressing a fool. "The harvest season is in September, and our grain stores, our taxes, depend on agriculture. If we continue stationing large forces along the borders, we'll run our treasury dry before the barbarians ever set foot here!"
"But—" Helborg's face reddened as he attempted to argue.
Just then, the Emperor himself intervened. With a hint of resignation, Karl Franz remarked, "If even the Elector Counts are growing complacent, what purpose does our vigilance serve? We can't keep our troops deployed indefinitely. The people of Reikland are already murmuring."
Helborg could not argue with the Emperor's logic. Fully professional soldiers were scarce within Reikland's forces; most were semi-professional, farmers by trade who trained only a few days a week. These men couldn't be away from their fields for extended periods, especially with the harvest season approaching. The frontlines had seen no action, and discontent simmered among the ranks.
The general sentiment was clear: if the barbarians were engaged with the Dark Elves, then the Empire had no reason to worry.
Even worse, the Emperor's policies had begun to alienate the Empire's self-sufficient peasants and middle-class citizens.
A prominent female artist and writer, Lady Squire, who authored several widely read works, openly criticized the Emperor at noble gatherings and galas. "A nation's true measure of civility isn't found in its towering palaces, swift carriages, or mighty armies. It's not the grandeur of its science or the splendor of its art. It's measured solely by how it treats its most vulnerable."
Her rhetoric resonated among many influential figures within the Emperor's court, which only increased the Emperor's irritation.
A new tune began to circulate through Altdorf's streets:
"Bring back old Emperor Luitpold,
The bearded one, the wise,
Who brought us peace and simpler times,
We long for those days again…"
The song expressed nostalgia for Luitpold's reign and criticism of Karl Franz's warmongering and high taxes. It stung the Emperor, who knew that his father had ruled by compromising with nobles and keeping a hands-off approach—policies that had led to many of the issues Karl now faced. Yet the people yearned for the "good old days" under Luitpold.
Amid this, a new sentiment began spreading within the Imperial Court, gaining rapid traction.
The "Bretonnian Threat" theory suggested that, with the barbarians busy fighting the Dark Elves, the Empire could enjoy several years of peace. This theory posited that the true threat came from Bretonnia, whose Knight King Ryan was rapidly gaining power. With their recent success in the Obian campaign, Bretonnia was a rising threat that the Empire would have to address, potentially with military action.
The theory found enthusiastic support, spreading wildly throughout Altdorf.
"Can't we at least leave a few elite units behind?" Helborg insisted. "The Chaos fiends are not to be trusted!"
"Where will the funding come from?" Lady Hawkswolf retorted angrily. "The Emperor has even begun dipping into his personal funds to maintain the current forces."
Realizing that he was alone in his stance, Helborg scanned the room, sighed, and conceded. "Very well. It seems everyone here wishes to stand down."
After several minutes of silence, Imperial Grand Chamberlain and Chief Diplomat, Baron Amadeus Menken, finally spoke up. "Helborg, some suggest that if we don't pull back our northern troops, the Norscans won't feel safe enough to fully commit against the Dark Elves. Some Norscan chieftains have even asked Nordland and Marienburg merchants for 'protection fees'… and some have paid. Do you understand?"
"Fools!" Helborg muttered, disappointed.
Karl Franz understood too well. Years in the Imperial Court had taught him that while Helborg was a soldier, the others were bureaucrats.
To bureaucrats, stability, tact, peace, and order were paramount. And with the Empire still deeply indebted to the High King, fiscal caution was indeed necessary.
"Withdraw the troops. Right now, the harvest must be our priority," the Emperor ordered decisively.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Meanwhile, in Bretonnia, Ryan held a similar council with his dukes, discussing the barbarian movements.
Both councils mirrored each other almost exactly in their discussions and decisions.
"So that's it! The barbarians aren't coming for us—they're clashing with the Dark Elves instead!"
The Bretonnian dukes, relieved, burst into laughter.
Inside the newly built, slightly modest Musilon palace, Aurora, head of intelligence, reported the latest intel.
Neither the Lake Prophets nor Lauen's scouts, but rather Aurora herself—a powerful, alluring sorceress—now had the honor of briefing the court. With multiple reliable sources confirming the barbarian focus on the Dark Elves, Aurora felt a surge of pride. To hold such a distinguished position in Bretonnia's power structure was something she'd never dreamed of back in the Garland Council.
But how wonderful it would have been if it wasn't all owed to Ryan, she thought begrudgingly.
"Thus, it appears that the barbarians won't attack us," François smiled as he addressed Ryan. "This was much ado about nothing."
"For now, it does seem that way," Ryan replied, gesturing for Aurora to take a seat next to him and to the left of Bellia, who had just returned from Marienburg. "But we must remain prepared."
However, Aurora ignored the seat and, with a wave of lavender-scented robes, took a seat in the absent chamberlain's chair. Both Morgiana and Surya cast her a quick glance but said nothing, noting Ryan's lack of objection.
"But it's almost harvest season, my King," Lauen reminded him softly. "We need our soldiers in the fields. Maintaining this defense force on the northern coasts without cause will overburden the treasury."
"Hmm…" Ryan agreed but couldn't shake a lingering sense of unease.
"Could we not leave a small elite force?" suggested Duke Berchmond. "The Chaos hordes are nothing if not treacherous!"
"And who will pay them?" Duke Adelhard countered.
"I will cover the costs from the treasury," Ryan declared. "Each duchy will send seven hundred soldiers, a fully professional force of knights, squires, and trained infantry. They'll be fully provisioned by the royal treasury. Send all those bored hedge knights and elite infantry who returned from the Eight Peaks to our northern shores! Tell them the King provides free meals and wages!"
The council burst into laughter. With Ryan's promise to cover expenses and his high reputation, the dukes raised no objections, even eagerly offering to send more troops.
Thus, an 8,000-strong professional force was swiftly organized. Ryan appointed Marquis Luar, a Holy Domain Grail Knight, and Count Carad, another Holy Domain Grail Knight borrowed from Bastogne, to lead the army.
With these arrangements complete, Ryan adjourned the council and prepared to return to Jean City.
Across the Old World, the humans collectively breathed a sigh of relief, hopeful for a peaceful year ahead.
The good times had finally come!
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