The Ancients World

Chapter 284: First Attack

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While there are many things going on around Gaia, the war brewing between Bellvia and the alliance of The Dryads and Zenith is heating up. The first moves are being made, and both sides are preparing to take losses and progress their side's win. Bellvia has an advantage that its opponents don't have, and that's home field. The same can be said for Zenith and The Dryads. They have greater numbers and more experienced soldiers and commanders. Queen Elenore is at the site of the first actual battle. Despite it not being between the actual parties in the war.

My soldiers and Zenith's soldiers are present in the location we need to capture for a foothold. I'm present at this battle cause I want to know how battles are fought. If the monsters in the area prove to be too deadly, I'll use The Horn of The forest and save some unnecessary deaths from occurring. I ride on a horse next to a General of Zenith and a couple from mine. Jackson is on his way with some of his forces to help secure other locations. The trade routes and the ports are his main concern. We have plenty of soldiers on our side.

I'm traveling with only a couple of battalions. While our combined armies have up to 55 battalions. So it's rather small compared to the majority of our forces. Jackson is using around 8 battalions for his assault in two trade routes. Other Generals with separate objectives have taken battalions too. Some Generals are taking 3 battalions, and others are taking a large about of 5 or 6. I'm moving with a small amount since we aren't engaging our actual enemies. We're taking over a strategic position from monsters. I've already learned much in my time traveling here.

One of my Generals is riding next to me as we're in the middle of our army. She's a great friend. One of my fathers best and has always been a little overprotective of me. "My Queen, I still don't see how it's okay for you to join us in combat. I think you should've stayed back at the staging ground for our invasion of Bellvia. There are a lot more soldiers there, and you'll be protected since it's going to move." I smile at the care she shows me, but I'm not some baby that can't care for itself. Before I can respond, the General of Jackson's army begins to laugh out loud.

Celia darts her head at the General, but it's not a laugh to be offended by. It's not one filled with arrogance. It has a tone of sincerity in it. "I don't see a problem with it, Queen Elenore. I'd be jumping for joy that the leader of my land is willing to learn how to fight and win battles at such a young age. You don't see that in young rulers anymore, and you're going to be better off for. Along with your people, so I admire that you're here." As the General explains his reasoning, Celia turns her head away and looks down. She didn't consider looking at it that way.

As Queen Elenore approaches the area. King Jackson is making progress himself. In fact, he has finally engaged the enemy. The trade route that he's attacking is of a more important role, and that's why he has the most soldiers with him out of all the leaders moving on the offensive side. The trade route he is attacking is important because it delivers supplies and weapons to key cities and encampments. It's also a trade route that leads straight to the port. Taking this trade route will lockdown any help that Bellvia will need.

I watch from behind my men as the front lines of both sides clash. We outnumber the forces here by 2 to 1, but their mages are causing serious problems for us. None of my soldiers can make it to the mages, and the range of my archer's arrows isn't as far as they are in their ranks. They're behind some wooden fortifications and attacking us with long-distance magic. "My King! We need to do something about these mages! They're tearing our troops apart!" A commanding officer from the front lines runs up on a horse. He tells me something I can see from here.

I was hoping I didn't have to use this, but sometimes you got to do things you don't like. "Tell the archer to start using the Magic Nullifying Arrows! Once they make contact in the general area of those mages, they won't be able to cast magic!" I shout my order, and the chain of command sees that it's handled. These arrow types cost me a small fortune, which I hoped I didn't have to use. However, this is war. The archers get new barrels with these arrows, and they start to launch them at the mages. They fly longer and farther than normal arrows. Hence why we can use them.

I watch as the arrows release a small gas as they hit the area the mages are in. After a couple of seconds, the magical assault stops. "Tell the line breakers to use their skills and punch a hole into their defensive line!" My order is sent, and my front-line soldiers use their skill Defensive Break. After a brief struggle, my men get through, and my soldiers flood into the enemy forces now that their front line is broken. I watch as Bellvia's forces get slaughtered. I do feel bad. These men are pawns in a game that they shouldn't have been dragged in.

After a few minutes, the fighting is over, and the few left on Ballvia's side either flee or are captured. Some of the mages managed to escape, but we ended up catching a couple of them. I walk into the wooden fort they used as a defensive position. I can see that they were well supplied. It doesn't matter anymore. Any places that need reinforcements beyond this point won't get any help since we've captured the second most important target in this war. I know Bellvia has more up its sleeve. More than I'm sure will cost me more men.

As Jackson finishes the final things before securing the trade route. New of the capture has already reached both Jackson and The Dryads forces and Bellvia's forces. This marks the first attack on the war, and it means that this is serious and will only escalate at this point onwards. However, there is a single man that is happy all of this is occurring. The true orchestrator of this war is Gregory. He's the one that enticed Bellvia's king to attack Jackson's wife with assassins and thieves. He's the one that let the information slip that it was Bellvia doing all this.

I sit on my throne as a messenger walks in. He hands me a paper scroll, and I open it. It's news about the war in Bellvia. Jackson humiliated me and my work building the coalition. Nearly destroying it in a single day. "My King, when should we move on with the next step of the plan?" We can't move forward with the plan yet. Jackson needs to be at the height of the war in Bellvia before I can make my move. Bellvia has been playing its role greatly, and everything is going according to my designs. It's almost full proof.

The only thing I couldn't guarantee is Bellvia's king staying stupid long enough before he finds out I played him. The odds are low, but if that happens. My plans will have a good chance of failure. "Not yet. We have to make sure the Zenith is at its most vulnerable before we control the kingdom. With the majority of its forces in Bellvia, it'll be easy to take the kingdom." I have been planning this since Jackson left the Coalition. I'm going to absorb his kingdom into mine and take him off his throne. Yes, I'm doing this out of spite and pride, but I'm more important than Jackson is.

Who is he to stand in the way of my plans—a small-time king in a small-time kingdom. "As you wish, my King. When you're ready to give the order, we'll move out the armies and take Zenith by storm." Zenith won't have its king and won't have its greater forces. Taking it will be easy. My advisor leaves the throne room and lets me sit alone. I close my eyes and think back to the moment he left the Coalition. The arrogance he had, the gall. No one ever behaves like that in front of me. Towards me. He'll only learn the truth too late.