Age of Adventure

The Day Before

At the same time that Eric the Black Robed Prime Mister was talking with Zeus on top of that city wall, a few hours before that, on the Plain of Ethylred, below the mountain forest, there is the Aethereld castle

It was evening and night would come in a few hours.

Inside that castle, is none other than Alexander and Pericles and the other generals of the army looking at the huge map that is spread open in the middle of the huge table.

Alexander frowned when he got the report from his scouts and spies.

’Why did Kyle did not retreat?’ That is what Alexander had asked.

And that is the question everyone had on their minds right now.

As it is impossible for Kyle to take the castle, Alexander and his generals had hoped that Kyle would pack up and retreat.

It is not like they could not force Kyle to retreat but they have their own considerations. If they could conserve their force, that is the better alternatives.

If they could rid out an enemy by forcing them retreating, then that means they could stay longer in the Plain and reserve more of their strength.

The more they conserve their strength, the more they could advance forward later.

When the reinforcement from Karak arrives, it would not be too late to destroy Kyle army.

Alexander has his plan.

If the Vanheim forces is retreating, his forces would then quickly fortify the area around the river and make sure that this place could serve as a base for his next action to go deeper into Vanheim territory

But for some weird reason, Kyle did not retreat and he wouldn’t budge from his position, standing there like he couldn’t see the differences of advantages between them.

This did not track with Kyle style of attacking or defending.

For some reason, Alexander felt like he is fighting a completely different person.

He had been fighting Kyle for half a year and none of the moves that Kyle had done before had made him seems this unpredictable.

Pericles who was beside Alexander could see that Alexander is hesitating. Pericles then said

’Your Highness, if they didn’t retreat, we should attack them’ Alexander face turns hard.

Pericles quietly shut his mouth up. It is not that Alexander did not think of it before

But there is many reason why he did not attack

If not for the many other factors, he might not have open the route for Kyle army to retreat from the plain.

It is actually quite the big chance to smash Kyle army but he is thinking of long terms gain

supplies are dwindling and Karak is being held up by Marquis Dan as such their supplies is being held up and the reinforcement that Karak wanted to send to the Plain is also being held up

There is also the hidden threat of Countess Raina who disappeared from the battlefield of Karak.

Alexander is very wary of Countess Riana because he once seen her in action during the battle of Coro and he heard many stories about her in the border region fighting rabbles of bandits

Maybe that Countess is on the northern border of Veranis cutting off the supply lines from Karak, or they might be lying in ambush somewhere in the Plain of Ethylred.

Countess Raina army seems to disappeared from the battlefield like a ghost

Even though there is only around five thousand soldiers in that army of hers it should never be underestimated at all.

They were all high level archers and each of them possess sharpshooting skills.

They are mounted archers that could run easily after inflicting a huge area of effect damages If the arches are just simple arches, then it would not have ben that much of a headache to deal with them

But most of the archers that is in the Countess Raina army were all high level archers, as they all could create rain of arrows with their bows, possessing high lethality and is very adept in running away.

Unless you could close your distance quickly to this archer or a mage that have powerful defensive ability, or a powerful warrior it is very hard to survive the onslaught of a hail of arrows that these five thousand soldiers mounted archers could unleash in the battlefield.

The fact that they are also mobile and they use scattering formation is also very hard to deal with

He had hoped Kyle would retreat so he could preserve more of his forces. That is one of his concerns. His other concern is of course Kyle

Suddenly the Kyle that he knows change into this mysterious entity that doesn’t seem to move according to logic.

The retreat path is opened. Since that is the case, he should take the retreat path. But Kyle didn’t move and making them guess his intention

Alexander look at the map on the table, his eyes seems to try to see through the plans that Kyle had.

He did not understand why Kyle did not retreat.

Alexander wanted to avoid the situation where he would run low on supplies.

They must force Kyle force to retreat so that they could fortify their position on the Plain.

As long as he could get the Plain area and maintain a garrison overlooking the large cities of Vanheim, he could then create a stalemate for a few years.

That would be enough for his joint alliance to take the cities around the borders, slowly, piece by piece

He did not want to take Duvar because he did not want to be stuck between Veva and Vanheim. As such, he could only attack the Plain.

He is frowning as he looks at the map. The mood in the tent is very tense and then a voice spoke to Alexander.

’Your Highness, please listen to General Pericles suggestion’ This time it is Antonius, his other generals that urged him.

He is also one of the few who knows the terrains of the area of the Plain like the back of his hand.

This scheme of attacking the Plain did not just materialize out of thin air. He had planned this for a long time

The desire to conquer and shake the supreme position of Vanheim had long been planned by him even when he was a Prince.

Greater Veranis was not the end of Alexander ambition.

While his father is content in having realized the dream of Greater Veranis, uniting the partitions of the Old Veranis, Alexander was not satisfied.

Alexander also wanted to compete for the world. but the alliance and the subsequent vassalization by king George to his father had break that ambition.

On the northern border of Veranis is Karak. They could not expand there because Karak is also under the Vanheim Empire.

If they did no, Vanheim would interfere and Veranis could not bear the brunt of such a gigantic kingdom coming onto them from all sides. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

On the southern border of Veranis is the Niovar region of the Empire. On its west is Duvar and on its east is the Vanheim region of the Vanheim empire.

There is no chance for Veranis to ever develop.

Though, there are some advantages being in alliance with Vanheim

It is that They were safe.

That is true but for how long could they stay in the grace of the Vanheim Empire?

That is the question that bother Alexander.

The empire might never have had the desire to annex the vassal kingdoms but that is only during the reign of King George.

When King George died, the two Imperial brothers began making the whole world their chessboards as they both struggle to get what they want

Their chessboard however was always blocked by the Chancellor as the Chancellor maintain the peace of the Imperial Court whether through manipulations or brute force

Even then, they did not touch Veranis.

But who could tell what would happen in the future? Veranis development is cut off on all sides.

They could of course develop their internal matters but in the end, if the Empire one day were displeased with them, with all sides of their kingdom enveloped by Vanheim, how could they ever win?

Alexander did not like putting the fate of his kingdom in the hands of others. And he too wanted to vie for the world.

he despised Emperor Edward.

While the common populace did not know, people that sat on the high position of the world all knew that the accomplishment of the Emperor was attributed to him by Aero, the Chancellor of Vanheim and the undisputed ruler of the Six Council.

That is the man ruling from the shadow, his dark hand reaching everywhere.

One might think that if one is surrounded on all sides, how Veranis could ever fight with Vanheim?

Simple, it is because they are surrounded on all sides that he could attack from any side and taking it out piece by piece.

Duvar had become the buffer of Veranis from the western kingdom

Because of how large the border lines of Vanheim Empire, they ha to separates many of their forces to guard these borders.

And there is also a fact that Vanheim overextends their rule with Niovar and the mistake of Prince James taking Niovar so violently that even till today there is a rebellion there.

Duvar was not connected to the Empire now that Alexander had broken the alliance. The road to the west is blocked by Veranis.

If Vanheim attacked first, then Veranis might not been able to stop such advances.

But because karaka and Veranis attack at the same time and attack all along the border the Empire was forced to play some defensive measures.

Alexander needed only one place that could be considered his stronghold in Vanheim territory so that he could be like a pawn that arrived on the other side of the chessboard

Because Veranis was in the way. Because they were an ally before, everyone forgot that in the end, the road leading to the west is controlled by Karak and Veranis

It is because of that Alexander knew he had to persuade the Karak noble families.

When he met in secret with the Karakian noble families, they talk each other about this matter.

Some of them sis showing desire to rebel against the control of Vanheim empire.

Karak is no longer as wealthy as before and Vanheim noble officials had slowly extend their control to many parts of Karak government.

But that is not what made them finally allied with him.

It was something that the Emperor had done that made the three families become coldhearted and decide to join with him

Veranis is now on the verge of change.

If Alexander could hold his position in the Plain, he could then truly create a threat to Vanheim.

Of course, he might lose after but that did not matter.

Since Duvar is cut off from them and they have to also deal with Karak on the upper part of the border. He could turn back and attack Duvar. This time, the western kingdom would probably not meddle with him. If in the beginning eh attack Duvar, he might probably not only get ganged up by the western kingdoms, Vanheim in his back would stab him. Ethylred Plain is only one factor of his plan.

Like Vanheim making Duvar the second buffer between them and the western kingdom, Veranis also wanted a buffer. If he could occupy the many mountains around the Plain that surround the western border of Vanheim, then he would have his buffer

And by garrisoning this many mountains and creating a lookout fortress the army of the Empire would have a hard time to take it back later

What he needed was time. That is what Alexander wanted.

The reason why the western kingdom would attack them before if he makes a move in Duvar is because the western kingdom would believe that Veranis is taking it for the Empire.

The western kingdom would believe it was a scheme, to extend Veranis power to contend with the western kingdoms and when both sides were exhausted, Vanheim would come swopping in.

But now if he takes Duvar, then these western kingdoms will watch him intently but might not obstruct him

Because the act of him rebelling already had shown to the world that he is against Vanheim. And the enemy of your enemy is your friend.

Alexander look at the map and the nodded as he said

’A night raid’ A new plan is forming in his mind. His generals heard it and they felt relieved. It seems that Alexander had finally decided to attack

Alexander then relay his plans to his generals and then after an extensive discussion, they all agreed on a night raid

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