A deep, ancestral sadness seemed to settle over Lyeona, the weariness of a people who had been hunted for generations. "As the old legends tell it, General, we were not meant to wield the power of Gaia, but to grant it. To awaken the potential in others. Our bloodline is a key, a catalyst. And in order to unlock it requires something deep and intimate" A bitter, ironic smile twisted her lips. "It is why the Wardens protected us so fiercely—to keep that key from falling into the wrong hands." Her voice dropped, becoming a low, venomous hiss. "Now that our protectors are gone, our people are… ravaged."
The word was ugly, heavy with unspoken horrors. "Ravaged?" Aexl pressed, his gaze sharp, demanding the unvarnished military truth.
A dark blush of shame and fury spread across Lyeona's face, her pride warring with the horrific reality. "They defile us," she spat, the words tasting like ash in her mouth. "They don't just kill us. They use us. They extract the power from our people by force… leaving them… rung dry. Husks. All to amplify their own foul magic and twisted craft." Her eyes flared, golden flames of pure, undiluted hatred.
And in that moment, something clicked in Aexl's mind with the cold, hard certainty of a rifle bolt sliding into place. Lyeona's pained confession was the final piece of the puzzle. Armenia. Vauban. And now, Shingen. Their power, their loyalty… it wasn't just the system. It was the women.
The "Trigger Conditions" – Make Lyeona scream for more – weren't a perverse joke from some depraved developer. It was a brutally efficient game mechanic. His consummation with the women of this world wasn't just a transaction for unlocking units, it level him up giving him arms to increase his unit capacity and ability; it was a catalyst. A conduit. The power of Eldenthyr, this world's most valuable and violable resource, was a currency flowing through them, amplifying his own abilities and supercharging the very summons he brought forth. Instead of a unit itself it came with a H-lords
The War Dominion interface wasn't just rewarding him for conquest; it was teaching him exactly how this power was extracted. A dark, cynical understanding dawned on him. The system wasn't just horny. It was parasitic. And it was pointing him directly at his next target.
"General… General?"
Lyeona's sharp voice cut through his analysis like a blade. Aexl blinked, pulled from the depths of his grim revelation. "Sorry?"
"I asked if you have a plan," she repeated, her patience wearing thin. Her golden eyes were fixed on him, demanding an answer.
"Ah. Yes." The tactician took over, the internal discoveries filed away for later. He strode back to his phone as he opened the tactical map overview function Lyeona eyes widened in her disbelief her mind asked what sort of wand is that projecting something like a map on a table. "Here is my take. That gate is the key. To free the Marked Ones, to take the fortress. But as we are now, we can never break it. Not with might alone." He tapped the map. "What we need is to fight magic with overwhelming firepower."
His voice took on the crisp, authoritative tone of a briefing room. "My suggestion is this. First, send a scout party back to that ridge. I want a full report on everything they find. I want to know exactly how those five hundred orcs operated and establish a defense there and a base to avoid unwanted or surpise attack. Second," he drew a sweeping line on the map with his finger, "you're pulling this entire force back. All one thousand of you will fall back to the Cliff of Echo. It's a natural chokepoint, far more defensible, and easier to reinforce with cuckoos. You'll trap them there, not here too open just in case."
He looked up, his gaze locking with hers. "We take the gate in seven days. But we won't be fighting their magic with swords and shields. We will fight it with fire and Science." He let the words hang in the air, a promise of a new kind of war. "So, what do you think?"
Lyeona stared at him, at the unwavering confidence in his eyes, at the brutal logic of his plan. A slow smile spread across her face. "I trust you, General. As my sister trusted you." She turned to the nearest guard, her voice ringing with renewed purpose. "You heard the General. Send the scouts. Then tell the captains to prepare the men. We're moving out!" The order was given, and a ripple of activity spread through the camp.
As Lyeona began barking orders, Aexl stepped back, observing the structure of the gate one last time. Lady Shingen materialized at his side, a silent, crimson shadow.
"So, no glorious charge today?" she asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
"To take that gate, we need more than a glorious charge. We need superiority," Aexl replied, not taking his eyes off the target.
"And what is your plan for that, General?"
"We're going to build cannons. And matchlocks an upgraded one."
The legendary warrior raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "Matchlocks?"
"Yes." Aexl finally turned to her, a glint in his eye. "We don't have blueprints, but Vauban will know the principles for the cannons. And as for the matchlocks…" A wry, dangerous smile touched his lips. "On Earth, how many thousands of times do you think I've had to disassemble, clean, and reassemble a rifle? Every spring, every pin, every piece of steel… I know them by heart."
Lady Shingen stared at him for a long moment, then let out a low, rich laugh. "I knew it," she said, her golden eyes gleaming with a warrior's excitement. "Following you was going to be far more interesting than simple conquest."
*****
Back at the village, the news arrived on the wind.
The messenger sent by Lyeona, breathless and mud-splattered, had delivered his report directly to Lyssa. "So, that's where he went," she mused, her fingers drumming a slow, thoughtful rhythm on the great oak table. She sat at its head, not on a delicate chair, but on a heavy, throne-like seat carved with the likeness of ancient beasts, every inch the viking lord of her hall. "He met my sister."
She looked up, her piercing gaze finding Roderick, who stood waiting. "How are the General's units? Are they aware of their commander's status?"
Roderick, ever the diligent steward, cleared his throat. "Judging from their movement I think they are privy of their commander plan as the one from the foreign land, Armenia… her unit has grown. We counted eighteen of them this morning, doing some wild exercise. They're out in the fields now, mounting cuckoos, running drills. Practicing." He shifted his weight, a hint of unease in his posture. "And the golden-haired one, Vauban… She and her eighteen maidens have been… busy. I thought they were preparing for a festival, but instead, they are reinforcing the walls and rebuilding the main gate. I tried to stop them, but they invoked the General's name. Said it was his direct order."
Lyssa let out a long, slow breath. "Let them be. There's a purpose to his madness, it seems. All we can do is support them." A wry, almost bitter smile touched her lips. "I just didn't expect the General's grand army to be a bunch of beautiful maidens." She leaned forward. "And what of the unit we gave him? The Valkyries? What are they up to?"
Roderick's face soured. "The same as the others. I reprimanded them this morning for abandoning their patrol routes. They, too, used the General's name. Threatened me with his wrath if I interfered."
A flicker of irritation sparked in Lyssa's eyes. "Four days," she muttered, more to herself than to Roderick. "He's been here four days and already he acts as if he owns the place." She looked like a jealous child for a moment, a queen feeling her authority challenged. "If it weren't for those orcs, I would have…" She cut herself off, taking another deep breath to steady her nerves. "So, what are they doing now? Our Valkyries."
"They are assisting the golden-haired one's maidens with the fortifications," Roderick replied.
"And the villagers?"
"They have returned to their routines, tending the farms, living their lives," Roderick explained. "But there's a lightness to their step I haven't seen in a long time. A sense of relief. The presence of the General's army has worked wonders for morale." He paused, then added as an afterthought, "Everyone is accounted for, aside from Juvia. She excused herself early this morning, claiming she was overly tired from the celebration."
"Let Juvia be," Lyssa said, waving a dismissive hand. "The celebration was long. She earned her rest." She leaned forward, her voice dropping slightly. "I was going to ask her about something this morning, actually."
"Something I might know?" Roderick inquired, his curiosity piqued.
"The ghost," Lyssa explained, a troubled look clouding her features. "It was stronger lastnight. More insistent. Its pleas for help… they came earlier than usual."
Roderick's posture straightened, the loyal guardian stepping to the fore. "If it's the ghost, then you have nothing to fear. I will not allow it to harm you. If it dares to touch you, my fury will be its end."
A genuine, warm chuckle escaped Lyssa, the sound brightening the hall. The sight of Roderick puffing out his chest like a valiant knight was a comforting, familiar sight. "Thank you, Roderick."
"As I pledged to your parents, I am always at your service," he said with a slight bow.
"And I am deeply thankful for it," Lyssa replied, her smile fading as her thoughts drifted. "So, no orcs on the horizon for now, then. I wonder what the General's next move is."
"His grand campaign, I imagine," Roderick said with a knowing look. "The conquest of this world."
Lyssa's cheeks flushed slightly. "Yes… I remember. He said I would be his wife, and this village his capital." She looked at Roderick, her expression a mixture of apprehension and excitement. "What do you think of that?"
"What I think," Roderick said, his voice firm and unwavering, "is that whatever you wish, I will follow."
"No," Lyssa clarified, shaking her head. "I mean… Can he really do it? Conquer this world?"
A rare, proud smile touched Roderick's lips. "Why couldn't he? Your great-great-grandfather did, with an army half the size. The blood of conquerors runs in your veins, Lyssa. Why not in his?"
The words struck a chord deep within her. She stood, a new fire in her eyes. "That's it. I will join him. I will observe him, and maybe… maybe we can bring this world back to its rightful order." She hesitated, the weight of her duty settling on her shoulders. "But the village…"
Roderick closed the distance between them, placing a firm, reassuring hand on her shoulder. "My dear, you know this village will stand as long as I draw breath. But your destiny lies beyond these walls. There is so much more to your bloodline." His voice grew quiet, filled with the weight of history. "Your ancestors didn't set out for mere conquest. They had a purpose: to unite the world under one banner, to end the oppression and slavery that plagued it. They established trade, they brought peace. This world was yours to begin with, Lyssa. It is your birthright to see it flourish again."
"Really?" she whispered, the question full of a lifetime of doubt. "Can I?"
"You can," Roderick said, his conviction absolute. He then straightened up, his steward's duties returning. "One more thing. The golden-haired maiden, Vauban, has requested access to our resource warehouses and inventories. Shall I provide them?"
Lyssa didn't hesitate. Like a queen who had made her decision. "Assist them in every way possible. As the Village chief, and heir to the bloodline of Eldenthry as of today I am putting the command of all the Eldenthyr army and soldiers under the General. I can feel it, Roderick. Something good is about to happen."
Roderick knows deep inside him that general is the key as he remembers lyssa Grand father same boldness as Aexl "as you wish your majesty"
***
Back in lyeona camp aexl was fixing cuckoo saddle the ephone buzz a message wide across the screen
[You have gained an additional unit from your Territory Eldenthyr]
500 Eldenthyr Spear Militia
250 Eldenthyr Cavalry Militia
250 Eldenthyr Javelin Thrower
What's this he muttered as he looks at the soldiers on the camp, preparing their take to leaves something glows in them something he only can see but limited to woman only, as he saw lyeona step out the camp big glow of aura flowing
Aexl only smiled