What happens if Napoleon Bonaparte is resurrected in a fantasy world to save a whole continent from a Demon Lord?
A moment after his death, the former ruler of Europe receives a visit from the mysterious Faucheur, who proposes him to reborn in anoth...
But in the meantime, the news had already spread among the guests, the kind of capable of shocking even the person least interested in the fate of the war.
"The armies of Barons Melk and Ortis have been intercepted on the road to Falken." said the messenger after the General and his sons had secluded themselves in a small library next to the ballroom. "The enemy surprised them in marching order and routed them. Baron Melk fell into enemy hands, while Baron Ortis died in battle."
In one fell swoop the rebellion had lost two of its most authoritarian and symbolic leaders.
But the truly shocking thing was the way in which that defeat had developed.
It was already not normal for an army to proceed separately, but in a thousand and more years of history military campaigns had always been decided by a single battle, with two generals facing each other at the head of their respective armies.
Since when did an Imperial General have so much faith in his officers that he trusted them not only to march separately, but to actually attack on their own?
"What about Virilus? Is there any news about him?"
Baron Virilus was the lord of the lands in which the Falken Valley was located, and was also the General's closest friend and collaborator, one of the initiators together with him of the revolt to which others had subsequently joined.
"He should have reached the valley by now." Ophelia said
"Send him a messenger immediately to inform him of what has happened. Tell him that he must fortify the valley with everything he has. And tell him we'll reach him in five days."
"Yes sir."
"Send messengers to every province. I want all the Barons here in Glasnet tomorrow evening for a general council."
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Once the guests were sent away, Severus then went to sleep, leaving peremptory orders to wake him up if other important news arrived.
But important news arrived only the next morning, while the General and his sons were having breakfast; and it was news they never wanted to receive.
"Baron Virilus is dead, General! The enemy surprised him in Falken during the night, while they were still preparing the defenses!"
"But how was it possible!?" Primus yelled, now convinced like his sister that he was in a bad dream. "Latest reports said the enemy was at least thirty miles away from the valley! How did they get there so quickly?"
"They must have marched at night too." Severus said darkly. "And being only two legions, their advance was much more agile."
Their worst nightmares were coming true.
In ten years, the imperial legions had never gone beyond the Falken Valley, nor had they managed to kill any of the leaders of the revolt. This new commander, whoever he was, had achieved in three days what his predecessors had not achieved in a decade.
