III In Days Of Absence, Think Of Peace

It has already been a day since Krimvald's failed attack. It was silent. Nothing happened sea or land, and by mercy of the lord the sky too. There was no need for fret, Hierd was happy that Krimvald hadn't sent out their knights after that retreat for theirs, and probably a long time coming. However, when a force is weak, that is the best time for the opposing force to attack. But Hierd countered that fact. 

"In days of absence, think of peace." Marisse said, calmly sipping the tea that a maid had given her. "I myself coined that quote. Your gr- Hierd."

The two were sitting on the manor's balcony, enjoying a nice cup of tea in the slightly overcast skies.

Hierd looked at her from across the table, noticing the change in formalities, he leaned forward a little. "And you suggest we, my army, 'think of peace?'" 

"You've made quite the stride, Hierd. The navy, with only two ships have outted almost the entire whole of the kingdom's navy. Such warships take alot of time to make, train the sailors, and maintaining it in their voyages onward the curves of the ocean's body. What a disgrace did it feel to know that the kingdom's ship were felled by two warships. Truly a time in history that felt most embarrasing for the kingdom." She sipped her tea, seeing Hierd interested, continued; "I would attack by sea and destroy the capital in one fell swoop, the rest of the nobles'd crumble. But, as my quote says, 'in days of absence, think of peace.' Has the kingdom made any moves since then?"

"No, Marisse. Not even a touch of the bush."

"Then I suggest you train your troops to the hardest amount, make them wield better weapons that your countries conjures and brings here from the dead of night. For you will undoubtfully need it."

Hierd turned a half-smile, "'Need it?' Does your kingdom, does Krimvald have a secret card not yet dealt? Dragoons, so you called it? Magic, actual damaging magic this time?"

"Maybe. I, we, do not know. However, Krimvald is no lonely country by any means. Of the Latessian continent, there exists a multitude of countries, twenty as I recall. And Krimvald has formed defense pacts with quite a few. I have gone to some of such in the past, talking negotiation, understanding the state of affairs."

"So, we're thinking world war up in here." Hierd thought. "She's right, if I want to imagine that approach; the kingdom calls upon reinforcements for this unknown force from some unknown land. Fucking up their state, killing thousands, injuring tens of thousands. They'd label me a terrorist and mass murderer, with no qualms with the shit their rulebooks'd say regarding law. I'm basically Hitler right now," -He chuckled- "That's fucking stupid."

"Hierd?" She said, piecking interest in the sudden chuckling. 

"Nothing." He stood up. "However I think I shall take this; 'In days of absense' thing you've coined a consideration. The recruited soldiers are already heading for Venit Ille for formal training. And I've already repaired the damages dealt by the navy." 

( What happened; )

"By God and by country!" Jack howled. "It's like she's never even seen the sea before!" 

Indeed the ship, the K-3 was brand new in the sense that it actually was. Hierd, from the latest hour of the night, spawned in two K-3s anew. The two used K-3s were still at the dock, Jack just hadn't turned around.

"Wait a minute!" Jack finally turned round, then came his eyes to the two he first saw, then back, then again to the old ones. "Theres'a more ships!" 

---

She looked at him with keen eyes. 

"I will have to introduce yet another weapon into my arsenal." He smiled, then looked at her. "You, princess, shall have to stay in the manor."

She pouted. "Can't I just roam around the city?" 

"No can do, you're too valuable... A hostage, and you're not being in surveilance'd cause me headaches losing."

She groaned a little. Hierd opened the door of the balcony and took off.

"A new weapon," She thought. "This is most strange. How does he get these weapons even? I've yet to see any German forces from his mainland. Either his country lives underground like dwarves, then using their technology, opens gates from the ground then out arises the machines. Or that, he himself is the underground, he is the technology. Could it be? A passer."

( * )

Hierd had called for five hundred soldiers to hop in trucks and head straight for Easel city. It was a rather abrupt notice, when command first hit the barracks, they were frantically running for the trucks, their keys in hand and feet on the pedal. They raced off. The streets, were people minded their walking as the impeding amount of trucks ran fast ahead. It was first a spectacle, the people wondered what'd happened. As the soldiers were heading to Easel city, they wondered if there had been something bad happening. But as no notice from the lord was given, they did not fret. 

Hierd was already some ways off the road with his own truck, in the back, his squad sat with their eyes trained at the woods and the road, anticipating an attack at any moment, even in friendly environments. "Lord, the trucks are approaching." One said. 

"Good." Hierd replied. "And, rest easy, men. There is nothing to be so worked on about in these parts." 

They soon after, 'relaxed' but the room behind seem much more tense. Like men not being able to talk to each other, only eyed the other person with a stern face. Saying nothing. Hierd said nothing of it. 

Soon, the trucks had reached Easel city's gates. At the moment, the viscount still controls the city only as a puppet. Hierd gives up some orders to fulfil and lets the viscount do whatever he so wishes, unless of course, it impedes his own wishes. The gate was guarded still by the viscount's knights, upon seeing the horde of trucks, they opened the gates and let them in. Not even a word was passed.

The people of Easel were confused, some even were terrified to see the iron trucks traverse their streets once again. They were not sure who this Hierd might be, a dictator or a freedom fighter? But it all seemed normal during the days of his presiding over them. Not a single thing changed unless of course one counts the recruitment and locked and shut law. 

It was all very calm, to Hierd's eyes at the very least. The people were minding their business and were making way for the truck's passing, in quiet runs that is. The horde of trucks stopped at the entrance of the manor, almost blocking the entire roadway. Viscount Melfirecame running out of the door, with knights accompaning behind him. 

"O' your liege, why have thy com'eth here today?" He bowed down. 

"Drop the formalities, Viscount, this is no social nor important call."

He nodded. 

"As Venit Ille is being used for training, I cannot operate there, and wish to use the land right next to the city for training, I hope you will not mind the noise."

"If you have come to ask my permission over it, I cannot say no." He smiled. "Is there anything you might need, lord Hierd?"

"Nothing, thank you viscount Melfire. I had came to your castle for merely an inquiry."

"You are welcome, lord Hierd."

 He went back to the truck then they drove. The line soon came flying over to the green grassy field, the viscount, watching from the highest point of his castle. "What will that man do now?" He sighed. "For my life and my wife's I should just obey. God rest the king's soul. For I can't do anything else. A report from a messenger the other day had sent that Krimvald's mage battalion had came only in defeat. Hierd's side had minor numbers inflicted, whilst Krimvald's numbers were all just gone. May the king make the right choices, to win this... Debauchery."

The day before, Hierd had actually placed five large things covered with tarp. Asking for Viscount not to disclose of it to the people, or to any passerby what or why it was there yesterday. The soldiers mired in the look of it as the trucks stopped and let the four hundred soldiers stop. They hadn't a single clue of Hierd's reasons. Why they were summoned to this place. To come to this field. But, something arose from within their minds. The Venit Ille black soldiers, with hearts thumping, and part of the artillery platoon, hearts raising. With all collectively thinking; "A new weapon!"

The draped object had a single long pipe-like thing extruding forward, with the back lowered and the middle of it having this dramatic upwards climb. Hierd walked up to the middle of the five of the large objects. Then, holding on the drape, he pulled it!

A giant hunk of metal, a large, long barrel. Not a single window, only but a slit of dark. "A tank." Hierd exclaimed with his face full of happiness. "This, specifically is an easy to drive tank, in my country, we call it; the Tiger I." 

The soldiers looked at it with awe, as if they were looking at a monster in the days of Auferstehen, they glared down the thing with the eyes of respect and of fear. "Each tank requires five members for it to be operational. A commander, a gunner, a loader, a driver, and most importantly a radio operator. Some of you might not have alot of knowledge regarding radios, as it's most recent use was yesterday by the navy. Now, they have already gotten their own training regarding the radios in specific exams. I have yet to train the lot of you regarding it.

"So undoubtfully, I will assign all of you to such lessons, that is, after I have fully introduced and have you all driven the tanks. There are only five at the moment, and I wish for there to be more sooner down the line." He turned to them, they still looking at it with the same intrigue as would a child to gold. "Now!" Their eyes swiftly darted to Hierd. 

"Place your tents and have your rations ready, we start when I call for it."

"Yes, lord!" A quick bow before they ran. In Naturvege's training, it was customary to use the tents given with their bags instead of the abandoned houses of Venit Ille. The soldiers, already used to the placing of the tents, were quite quick. Finishing in less than two hours commented Hierd from afar. He watched from his truck, his squad just behind polishing and cleaning their guns. With a large, damp cloth, they rubbed and scrubbed, the barrel of the luger shined as they wiped it clean. Not a single speck of dust or imperfection on any of their weapons, nigh even their uniforms.

From the tents a tall stream of smoke rose. The rations were being cooked. Hierd figured the normal rations given by the army in the second world war would just be in bad taste. Literally. He himself tasted the 'c-rations;' "Awful." He commented and he threw it away. The tin cans he gave the soldiers were more tastier, but take longer to prepare and may spoil in war. Hierd gave a sigh. 

"Lord?" They said as they heard him get out of the truck, they too hurried out.

They went to him then stopped a few feet. "Please inform them that they shall finish their meals and fast, as training will begin."

"Yes, lord." 

( * )

"I am sorry, Princess Marisse, you cannot exit the manor." The soldier said with not even a change on his bland expression, almost as if the royal title the supposed 'princess' carried was nothing more than a made-up word. 

"Why must you all be so insistent on my staying here!" She blurted. 

The soldier looked at her, this time he said not even a word, he just stood there and seemed to command more than what words'd prevail. She fell her ground, she couldn't budge the damned robotic being standing at the manor's gate like a sphynx to a crypt, the man remained unmoved, by her bicker or by the gusts of wind, maybe even the strongest of storms wouldn't make this man budge.

She walked back inside and opened the manor door. There were only so few maids remaining, as Hierd instructed there be only three on the premises instead of the previous lord's hefty fourty. Those maids received compensation for the sudden lay off. 

It seemed too eerily quiet. A place defunct of people, with only the cold walls of the manor standing tall and loud in the silence. Giving not a whisper, only a creak. "This place is a haunted house! I'd expect a lady in white appear from out of nowhere-

"AHH!" She screamed as a lady in white stood behind her without a word. "You scared me, who are you!?" She exclaimed.

"I am sorry for startling you, princess Marisse." The womanly figure bowed. "I am head researcher of the Unchean research department, you may refer to me as Jamie, your grace."

"Please, please, do not call me by that. Refer to me as you would refer to your lord."

She did not look to have acknolwedged it. 

"S-so." Marisse stuttered as she rose up to meet Jamie's level. "May I inquire your... Unintentional startling?"

"Yes." She nodded. "The Lieutenant Colonel, Naturvege, wishes for the princess's presence in the burial of the twenty soldier. They await at the grass field."

"How suprisingly grim for the first days I am finally out once more."

"I assume I shall need to make a speech?"

"If so that the princess wishes to for the fallen. Or if the princess still sides with the Krimvald, you may not join the burial."

"No, no, I shall come. Even if I was the enemy of an enemy, I would not take sides, following which my morality wants. To treat the minds of the people. To ease them in a war such as this."

Jamie stood there unfazed. "Well, your grace, let us go, I am sure a truck awaits us both." She opened the front door, the princess followed swiftly behind. The soldier guarding the gate had scooted over. He did not even look at the princess just behind her. Her face dropped to the ground, how come that stubborn guard scoot over as easily as that when just moments ago that same man wouldn't even breathe! She chuckled it off. 

Indeed there was a truck awaiting at the front gate. The grey skies have yet cleared to give way for the blue and the sun, it all seemed so gloom and depressing, a day befitting a ceremonious burial. She climbed at the back of it, two soldiers sat at the further back, seeing the princess enter they said; "Good Afternoon, your grace. And too Ma'am Jamie."

"Good Afternoon." Replied Jamie. 

Hierd had given her men's wear. A trench coat and a shabby suit and slacks. It did not seem that bad to be wearing such clothes, Marisse at first thought, when she had recieved the clothing, that it was for a ceremony of sorts and that it looked very much so; "Pleasing to the eyes." 

She puts her long blonde hair in a bun every day, seeing the occasion, she lets it down and combs it with her fingers. She looked beautiful and graceful at the back of the truck, alike a maiden to the back of knight-carried horse. The people who saw her were mesmerized by her sheer beauty. That small stature of hers was no bad quality, it made her long blonde hair look longer than it actually was. 

Soon, the truck began to move forward and onto the road. There were quite a few bumps here and there. The princess was very much used to such rumbles in her days in carriages. But it was different this one, the truck's wheels were different, making the bumps less earth shattering than the wooden ones of her royal carriage. 

The city was bustling. It's as if the people weren't fazed by the war that had happened just a day before and just a kilometer north of them. She saw them smiling, the children were playing in little puddles created by the rain yesterday that have yet to dry, and the market was full of people buying food and other misclainous items. 

"The merchants have been driving their prices up." Said Jamie as she saw Marisse eyeing up a scuffle at the market happening. "The gold coins. The people have been hoarding lots of food, clothing, and a whole much of anything. Your grace, if ever you get the chance to once again talk to lord Hierd, please tell him to lower the pay."

Marisse looked at her and chuckled a bit. "Okay, I will."

Just a second after, some three soldiers came up from nowhere and resolved the issue in mere seconds. 

"Indeed. Hierd's way with economics is not as good as one might think of a leader. He thinks more of the war than of the aftermath. Leading people is not just about giving the highest pay with all having equal a month. That's just stupid, he'll make sloths, not soldiers at this rate. But is it too late to change it? Or is it that he has another plan? To drive the economy down? To make money useless? To make, Krimvald's currency worth... Nothing? Or maybe even the whole gold industry... Worth as much as a poppy!?" She sighed. 

( * )

"What the fuck am I doing?" Hierd looked at the soldiers climb on the tanks. It was a 'brief' discussion. Taking over an hour to delve into the specifics of driving and operating it. The soldiers were all given manuals anyway, and Hierd knew that they loved manuals. 

"This should, if these guys took it to heart, be sick as fuck." Hierd walked a few meters off and stood awaiting movement. Eagerly anticipating it. In his mind he jumped and waved his hands in a fit to 'encourage' the tanks to move. His true face, however, was only dead serious. Not a single muscle'd turn into a grin. Only a frown.

The soldiers at the were at the rear of the tank. They opened a hatch containing the Tiger I's engine compartment that was flanked by two separate rear compartments; a fuel tank and a radiator. The tank had an 'inertia starter' mounted to the side of the engine. Hierd saw them cranking at it, it was a grueling workout for them. No more than three cranks later, Hierd heard engines roaring and the soldiers crying in joy. Which they then hopped inside. 

It was cramped, almost no light, but as their eyes readjusted to the darkness, they saw a meek place. It was a coffin by just how hot it was. After a hesitant sitting in. They fashioned themselves in the tank by rank. With the driver comfortably seating in the front and probably the most dangerous seat in the whole tank were it that they were to battle other tanks. It was, as Hierd said in the brief discussion, as simple as driving it like a truck, just that the movement and visibility was swayed. With only some periscopes fixed to the top being the only way for the driver to see what was infront of him. 

One of the tanks began to move, and Hierd screamed internally with excitement. The remaining soldiers looked on with intrigue, the 'tires' which Hierd confirmed as tracks, were more special than tires, in that being these ones will make it less likely for the tank to get stuck on wet, soft ground unike, of course, the trucks. 

---

It took awhile, a lot of trial and error and a lot of getting used to for the drivers. But before long, they took the hang of the whole limited visibility thing. As well as the less than ergonomic space they had. Now, it was time to shoot with these things. The tank gunner rotated the turret via the gearbox aiming at the river, the tank commander looked at the river from that far away position of theirs, and with his telescope, he sighted in and adjusted it to see the amount of distance and angle the tank'd need to shoot. "Dead-on." He said. 

A single round travels as fast as a 9mm leaving a luger, one wouldn't even be able to see it exit the barrel, and only the recoil'd be seen. The tank loader put inside the barrel the ninety-two HE (exploding) tank round. It was big, and too was it nervewracking to hold. 

The other tanks beside it took aim as well. Then, with the help of the radio commanders, whoms't after a few short inquiries with Hierd, one could call them masters of the art of radioing at that point. They counted down;

-3-

-2-

-1-

"FIRE!" 

*WABOOM!

The combined power of five tanks, a hellish fire darted forth, and the tanks were pushed back!

The earth shook and the skies parted. A large plume of water splashed up, a wall of water. It rained down as if a small cloud cried out it's every tear. "Fantastic!" Hierd could not handle not saying it out loud. "Yes! That was amazing!" 

The soldiers looked at him, then at the tanks, "YEAH!!!" They yelled out into the skies, truly for the soldiers, it was an aweshocking event. The tanks and their propelled fire, it was spectacular. And the blast that followed afterward was one for the books. Hierd made his way to the tanks, the crowd still celebrating. 

"Everyone!" They soon silenced. "Today! Today I mark the beginning of a new group of soldiers in our quest for conquest! Men, and to the women as well I introduce; The Tank Battery!"

( * )

It was the day after. The princess laid soundly sleeping on her bed. Cool from the ice prisms made by the factory. She remembered nothing of last night, it was all quite a blur. Or that, there was really nothing to do in the monotonous walls of the manor. The burial was quite sad and the speech she gave more depressing, for she could only form apologies and not promises or steady statements. She did not see it from the people there, but inside she knew her reputation was lessening in their eyes. 

A knock came from her door.

She jolted awake, then a voice came from behind. "Your grace, lord Hierd wishes for you to join the meeting."

It was muffled, but Marisse could understand. "The voice, it's Jeane, that lieutenant. And it seems that Hierd, that man, is back. A meeting? Whatever will it be this time?" She got up from the bed, and went straight for the table and the long mirror facing it. "Please wait some time, Jeane."

"Yes, your grace." 

Marisse combed her messy bed-hair and then went straight to the wardrobe to fit on those suits that Hierd gave her. Finished, she walked to the door, not before first looking at herself at the mirror, giving a smirk.

"The meeting?" She inquired, walking forward and into the hallway, Jeane scooting a bit for her. 

"The lord wants it tight-lipped. And he wishes for your presence in the meeting, a 'guarantor, of sorts.' I quote this as what he said." Jeane smiled a bit. 

They made their way silently downwards and out to the entrance, Marisse's face lit up as she now had confirmation that yes, she'd be leaving the damned manor the second time in a row. But to where? The war room once more? The questioned filled her mind, "Jeane?"

Jeane looked to her just as they were to leave by the front gate. "Yes, your grace?"

"Where is it that this meeting is being held?"

"Venit Ille."

( * )

The journey was not more than a quarter of an hour, Marisse sat the front passenger seat, Jeane driving it. And from the last line of trees and toward that town, she could not believe her eyes. 

There was a traffic of peaple going to and fro, soldiers carrying huge backpacks. Platoons marching on the dirt path, being led by these high ranked individuals. And the town? It did not look like a town anymore. The houses have been repurposed, made into concrete ones like the city's factory. The main road had a whole lot of trucks parked and soldiers walking, talking, moving over to make way for the passing truck.

"You said this was a town?"

"Yes, your grace." She chuckled a little. "Lord Hierd had alot of time, and since Venit Ille was already being used for training, there was little arguement for it being a 'place' for training. And soon, many things happened. I am certain the engineers, architects, and the dwarves at the factory have each contributed a lot into making these concrete buildings."

Marisse looked at the inside of one of the passing buildings. There were several soldiers in black hacking away with their pens and papers, analyzing papers and all sorts of other things logistics. And to the next passing building, there were multiple soldiers, high ranking ones she presumed, all resting, drinking, eating. 

"There is a large cafeteria further down the road," Jeane said as she saw Marisse eyeing up every building they crossed. "A building where all the guns are stored, and one other building where the vehicles are parked. There are currently a hundred and twenty of these trucks, so the building's quite large, being able to fit fifty."

"I see." She replied, still looking at the buildings, they were, unlike what she was used to, had ad a sense of command in the way they were built. As if authority was meant to be enstilled upon looking at them. And she marvelled in the idea, in the look of it. As if her eyes were staring straight at a fortress. Where if she was it's enemy, she would be clutching her heart and holding her breath.

"We will meet the lord, where?"

"That building, the main one." 

She was suprised her eyes weren't immidiately caught by this building, for it stood at the end of the main road. Two storeys tall, ladden grey, and the architecture remeniscent of a mini palace. Balastrudes hung at it's wide second storey terrace, and below it, concrete pillars to support it, with the entrance just under the terrace. 

"This was all built in such short a time." Jeane said. "And so it is not done."

Indeed it was clearly unfinished, there were some sections of wall where the grey-whiteness of concrete was adamant, and there were large holes cut out, the holes were in the shape of these arches, Marisse had a thought back to her own manor. Windows, yes, but without the glass panes. But when they stepped in, Marisse was aweshook. The floor was this dark-ish wood, with a grand yet simplistic looking staircase immidiately ahead the entrance. 

There were a multitude of workers and soldiers there, each doing their own job. And when they saw Jeane followed by Marisse, they bowed then bowed lower. They all, saying their good afternoons.

"The conference room lies upstairs." The two walk up to the stairs and up to the first door just some meters away from it. Jeane knocked before opening.

"Ah!" Hierd immidiately took notice. "Our last guests have arrived. Everyone." There were a number of people sat on this very long table with Hierd at the very end of it. Marisse recognized some people. Making out viscount Melfire and Lord Adelheid. She bowed, and so did they. 

Jeane accompanied Marisse as she sat on her seat which was right next to Hierd's.

"Alright." Hierd sat down, everyone followed. "Today, will mark the first step in a huge catastrophe."

Everyone sat eagerly in their seats. Marisse took intent too seriously and eyed Hierd like a hawk. 

"First will be Krimvald-

Next will be the world!"