1
The rush takes over, several semi-human men go after their swords and bows for battle, and old men, women, and children flee their homes with as many belongings as they can while the instruments of the Magic Division echo louder and louder.
The archers climb onto the roofs of the houses to get a better view of what is happening, and from there come five rows of 20 soldiers from the Magic Division, each row carrying the division's banner, which consists of a round shield with the coat of arms of the city of Wiki and a double-headed eagle behind it.
Leading this advance was Claudius, the division's general, who wore a different uniform, basically adding a golden helmet with the symbol of a star that had the same eagle on the banner inside.
The village archers immediately fired their arrows, but the banner carried in the ranks was a defensive force, a magical instrument that conjured an invisible force field, so when the arrows hit this force field, they were completely destroyed.
— W... What? — Said one of the archers in surprise when he saw that his attacks had no effect on either the force field or the Division soldiers who were protected by it.
But the Division's reaction is immediate. Their rifles are quickly aimed at the top of the houses where the archers were, and with a big smile, Claudius shouts as he draws his sword.
— Fire!
With a loud bang, the rifles fire all at once, and the houses, most of which were made of stone and wood with thatched or wooden roofs, are blown up, leaving almost all of the houses hit in ruins.
This massive show of force completely terrified the demi-humans who were carrying swords and axes, so much so that some decided to lower their weapons and surrender, hoping to be spared.
However, upon entering the village, they realized that there were still some willing to fight, who were eliminated one by one before they could approach them, and those who surrendered soon had their wrists tied with strong ropes.
Thus, the battle was very brief, and although many houses were destroyed, the village itself was not in ruins. In this way, the troops of the Magic Division entered the village and found several residents who refused to leave their homes.
Then, atop a large house, the flagpole with the flag of the city of Wiki was raised, and soon the joyful cries of the combatants echoed throughout the village. Those who surrendered became prisoners of war and were forced to begin repairs on the village the next day.
At sunrise the next day, the Magic Division troops were already planning future actions in the region. In addition, they sent a letter to the Feudal Capital about the conquest of the place and requested regular troops to occupy and administer it.
— How many villages are there in this region? — Asked Claudius, sitting in a living room, looking at the map of the region on the table.
— Sir, there are at least 12 villages. The one we just conquered is the smallest of them, but according to the information we have, all of these villages have less than a thousand inhabitants.
— It was very naive of them to think they would achieve secession from the Fiefdom, so... To make things easier, we will deliver a letter demanding his unconditional surrender, or we will march on all their villages."
— So you propose an ultimatum?
He smiles confidently at his subordinate.
— In other words? Yes, it will be an ultimatum. After all, we are at war with the insurgents, but the Fiefdom has not yet recognized the state of war against them, either... — His imposing gaze returns to the map.
— This place is perfect for developing an industrial and port hub for the Fiefdom as a whole.
The subordinate watches with some concern as Claudius thinks about this so enthusiastically and smiles almost fanatically.
2
While this was happening in the distant lands of the southwest, in Histolopolis, Magno was walking through the corridors of the palace where he had been living since his victory in the Capital. However, despite his seemingly stoic gaze, his mind was wandering through the confines of his memories, which were about his past and his relationship with Charles.
"And... I couldn't do anything to save him and his wife... Now I have to take on a responsibility that I never thought I would have in my life... And... Also..." — He looks at his own hands — "Not only is the future of the fiefdom in my hands... But also the future of my family..."
From one of the palace windows, he sees the skies clouding over, a clear sign of approaching rain.
"Only Antonia and I are left... And I couldn't stop her from crying... All I have left now is to fight... For the revenge of the blood shed by Charles and his wife... However, I also have to unify the fiefdom again..."
His walk soon takes him to a room, which is clearly an office, and as the doors close, silence falls in the hallway.
However, Antônia also moved into that palace, into her room. Lavinha was already feeling much better, but not fully recovered, and Antônia comforted her as best she could. Even though 10 days had passed, the mourning was far from over.
With her head on her lap, Antônia, in tears, remembers the smiling memories, where the three of them played happily in the fields on a sunny and peaceful day, playing on cold days, where the snow was constant. As joyful as that was, it was still just memories, memories of a time that will never return.
— You can cry as much as you want, you're safe with me... — Lavinha murmurs, her heart aching at the sight of Antônia in that state.
Her arms soon envelop Lavinha, who smiles maternally, and Antônia hugs her like a small child seeking her mother's comfort, which was what she wanted most at that moment.
3
Hours later, even though the weather was clearly set to rain, Magno, dressed in his formal military uniform, left the palace and walked accompanied by Ricardo, Antônia, and Cobalsk, the four of them under the watchful eye of the new feudal guards.
They wear the uniforms of the Wiki city guards, but instead of the symbols of Wiki, they bear the symbols and coats of arms of the Seven Lakes Feud.
A march begins, drums echo, and the new troops arrive in the Feudal Capital, with recruits from many loyalist cities, but of particular importance, those from the city of Wiki.
The population of the Capital cheers the new contingents with patriotic and joyful cries.
However, at that parade, Magno stood out, on top of a wooden stage, with his saber raised at 100º, his determined gaze attracting the attention of those who saw him, his blue eyes hardened by his growing determination to avenge the one who killed his brother.
"There are a total of 2,000 new fighters for the cause, all of whom must prove their worth on the battlefield, but also... they must receive as much knowledge as possible from those who were already fighting..."
The troops marched, looking at him, and in that sea of relatively similar-colored eyes, all wearing identical uniforms, there was one that caught his attention, a pair of green eyes, marching in the contingent coming from Wiki City, and knowing that was enough for him.
"So the Gildrons let their youngest son enlist?" — He thought as he watched Richard marching and looking at him. At that moment, Richard had just finished his brief military training, but it was the minimum required to be able to fight in Magno's loyalist ranks.
However, even amid the euphoria created by the people and the extreme optimism of the new troops marching there, sitting in a fancy wooden chair was Antonia, who was navigating her deepening emotional issues, but Magno did not notice.
"And... It wasn't my fault... I... I'm alone... We're alone... And... I want... To make whoever did this to my big brother pay dearly..." — She rambles in her thoughts as she watches Magno with his saber raised during the march of the new troops.
After the parade, the first raindrops began to fall from the sky, and gradually the people who had been there a few minutes ago watching the march dispersed, which intensified as the rain increased in strength.
In the corridors of the palace, he walks side by side with Antônia, however, he notices her strange silence.
"The butlers have said that she has stopped talking and playing with the other children and has become a little less focused on her studies..." — He glances briefly at her as they walk together. — "What I can do now is ease whatever she is feeling."
"Sir, I have more news about the northern front." "A butler formally comments as he approaches them.
—TSC. — She murmurs, visibly annoyed by the butler's arrival, and thus she sidesteps him and continues on her way to the bedroom.
Magno notices this, but as the new ruler of the fiefdom, he should stop to listen, especially in the context of civil war, where all information can be extremely vital to decisions in the war, and that is what he does, even though he particularly wants to ask her about her feelings. However, the duty to govern must come first.
— Excuse me, sir, did I come at a bad time? — Asks the butler, looking at him.
— N... No, tell me what news is so urgent that it must be delivered to me? — Even while talking to the butler, he watches Antonia leave and continue on her way to her room, which causes him some concern, but there is nothing he can do now.
With a quick glance back, she sees him standing there talking to the butler, the hurt visible in her eyes, but Magno doesn't notice, and so she goes to her room, leaving her brother to deal with the affairs of government, which he now manages.
Locking the door, she slowly sits down on the floor, her back against the door, hugging her legs, and soon cries softly as she looks down, something that at this moment no one notices.
4
— How is this possible?! — shouts an old man's voice.
Many miles away, in a large castle in the Quar Fiefdom, its Gothic architecture was extremely evident, the corridors boasting sculptures of warriors who fought for this fiefdom, but in the room where the feudal lord administers, there are three chandeliers to illuminate it and on the walls, paintings of the former rulers of the fiefdom.
But at the entrance to the room is a marble sculpture of the feudal lord and his wife, both appearing to be guards watching over the entrance to the room.
At that moment, Kilibe, the feudal lord of the Quar Fiefdom, was meeting with his generals and his son, and on the large table in that room was a map of the Seven Lakes Fiefdom.
Tension is in the air, as Kilibe learns of what has happened in the Seven Lakes Fiefdom.
— Sir, we must go to support Rubion and his fighters... — One of his generals comments fearfully.
— Silence! — Shouts the feudal lord. — Let me come up with an idea to solve this! ... Intervention between fiefdoms must be done with extreme caution, otherwise ... We will have to apologize to the Emperor ...
Kilibe's lilac eyes immediately fix on the map in front of him and silence returns, which is only broken by his son's voice.
— The risks are before us, but could you consider the idea of sending the elite fiefdom units on an extraordinary mission?
The suggestion leaves everyone there in a brief silence, considering the implications that such an action would cause, including Kilibe.
— The Golden Helmet units could be a good choice, however, the maintenance of their equipment must be taken into account. Those muskets are older than the empire, and therefore, annual maintenance by magic is necessary.
"I am aware of these nuances, and that is why I believe it is necessary to use them to assist Rubion and the forces he leads in the Seven Lakes Fiefdom.
— Very well, then, let it be so for now, however, you, Krom, will lead the forces of my fiefdom. — Says the old feudal lord, his eyes fixed on his son.
— Me? Father... It would be an honor to lead your strongest forces in the name of your fiefdom... — He says with his lilac eyes, just like his father's, fixed on his father.
And with a confident look, he smiles.
— My son, I want nothing more than your best.
5
On a dirt road that crossed through a forest, the troops marched, carrying their equipment, the sounds of armored vehicles too, with some carrying the flagpole with the flag of the Seven Lakes Fiefdom. Enthusiasm is the most accurate word to describe the morale of the loyalist forces. The 1,500 soldiers marched toward a village, After 20 days, the loyalist forces launched an offensive with the aim of dealing a fatal blow to the rebel forces and beginning the reconquest of the lands they had taken.
Among the many recruits marching cheerfully into battle was Richard, his emerald eyes seeing the tremendous optimism of his comrades-in-arms.
Holding his rifle tightly, he observes his surroundings as he marches. — "Finally, I will be able to honor my family's warrior blood. I can already feel the excitement of firing my first shot."
The column arrives at a village, basically a small settlement with little to offer strategically, apart from some food supplies.
There was no resistance, something that left the general of that offensive at least a little suspicious, as the local population did not pay much attention to the arrival of the loyalist troops, only captivating the curiosity of its residents about the uniforms, equipment, and vehicles, which were very exotic to them.
With the friendly reception from the inhabitants of that village, the flag of the Seven Lakes Fiefdom is raised on the tallest structure in the area, which is a monument to the founder of the village located in the central square.
The enthusiastic cries of patriotism and optimism echo through the streets of the village by the soldiers.
But from within the forest surrounding the village, many pairs of eyes watched them unnoticed, just waiting for the right moment to attack, and with the arrival of night, the time had come.