Chapter 4: The onset of conflict

(Content Warning: This story contains intense scenes of violence, war, and cruelty, including graphic depictions of battles and executions. It also includes instances of implied sexual violence and distressing situations. The narrative involves themes of conflict, power struggles, and brutality, which may be distressing for some readers. Explicit sexual content has been minimized, but the themes and events may still be unsettling for some readers. This story may not be suitable for all readers, particularly those who are underage or sensitive to such themes. Reader discretion is advised.)

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Solstice Empire, Solstice Haven Palace, Office Room, January 19, 2246/1639, 8:24 AM

The day dawned quiet in the Solstice Empire. Despite their best efforts, they had yet to establish contact with the elusive third civilization, a society known for its insular views towards the outside world. In her office at Solstice Haven Palace, Empress Christine was engrossed in paperwork. The documents before her pertained to an automobile export deal with Qua-Toyne and Quila. Just a week prior, Christine had lifted a temporary ban on civilian automobiles, opening up the markets of Qua-Toyne and Quila to the Empire's automotive industry.

As the morning wore on, Christine continued to sign off on the necessary paperwork. A knock at the door interrupted her focus. She beckoned the visitor in, revealing an agent from the Shadow Demon Intelligence Agency (SDIA), carrying a document. The agent handed the paper to Christine and, upon her dismissal, promptly exited the room. Christine scanned the document's contents, her expression growing serious.

Without wasting a moment, she summoned her trusted advisors - Reginald, Eldarion, Lucas, and Aeliana. Within minutes, they arrived, entering the room together.

"Thank you for responding so promptly," Christine began, addressing her Custodians. "I've just received word that Louria is mobilizing their troops. Thousands of galleys are currently en route to Qua-Toyne and will arrive in two days unless intercepted. I need our navy to position themselves near these vessels."

"Understood, Your Majesty," they responded in unison.

Lucas, the naval advisor, then asked, "Your Majesty, how many ships should we deploy? We currently have 700 vessels combat-ready."

Christine gave her command, "Send out a dreadnought, accompanied by two vessels of the Coast Guard Battleship Class. The dreadnought should be at the front, its formidable presence designed to instill fear among its prey. This mirrors the awe-inspiring power of the historical dreadnought battleships. However, they should hold their fire, only responding if they are attacked."

"Understood, Your Majesty," Lucas bowed in acknowledgment.

Turning to Reginald, Christine continued, "Reginald, I need you to inform Qua-Toyne that we will soon join them. We are officially declaring war against Louria. But before that, I will write a formal letter to be sent to Qua-Toyne."

Reginald bowed. "Understood, Your Majesty."

And so, the room buzzed with a renewed sense of urgency as each Custodian set off to carry out their Empress's orders. The quiet day had suddenly turned into a pivotal moment in the history of the Solstice Empire. The gears of war were in motion.

Qua-Toyne Principality, Solstice Embassy 8:26 AM.

The Solstice Embassy in the Qua-Toyne Principality was a hive of activity that morning. Theron, the Empire's ambassador, was strolling down the grand hallway of the embassy, his gaze drifting towards the window. He was taking in the picturesque view of the principality, a sight that never failed to captivate him.

As he was lost in the scenic beauty outside, his assistant hurriedly approached him, a look of urgency on her face. "Mr. Theron," she began, her voice slightly breathless from her haste, "the Diplomat of Qua-Toyne has requested an urgent meeting with you. He is currently waiting at the reception."

Theron nodded, his expression turning serious. "I see. Please inform him that I will be there immediately."

A few minutes later, Theron arrived at the reception area, ready to meet with the Diplomat of Qua-Toyne. Upon entering, he noticed Yagou, the diplomat, standing near the window, seemingly lost in thought.

"Mr. Yagou," Theron greeted, catching Yagou's attention. "I am glad to meet you. Please, let's sit down so we can begin our discussion."

Yagou turned around, a look of relief washing over his face. "Ah, sorry about that, and thank you for the offer." Both men then took their seats, the tension in the room palpable.

Theron leaned forward, his gaze steady on Yagou. "So, Mr. Yagou, from the urgency in your eyes, it seems we have a serious matter at hand. Please, tell me what's going on. Perhaps we can find a way to help."

Yagou took a deep breath before beginning. "Yes, it's quite serious. You see, our neighboring country, Lauria, located to the west of Gim near our country's border, is mobilizing troops. It appears we will soon be at war with Lauria."

Theron frowned, concern etching lines on his forehead. "What happened?"

Yagou sighed, his hands clasped tightly together. "Louria has been building up their army for a few years now. This means we may have to surrender a town and some cities. Consequently, our export to Solstice might be halted. I have seen what the Solstice is capable of and have never forgotten it. Theron, we need your help. Please, send troops."

Theron nodded, his expression resolute. "Rest assured, Mr. Yagou. However, since we do not have troops stationed here, it would take a day or two for them to reach Qua-Toyne if Her Majesty sends a troop. But first, I must inform Her Majesty about the situation."

Louria Kingdom Royal Palace Bathroom 9:46 AM.

In the grandeur of the Royal Palace of the Louria Kingdom, a scene of unusual intimacy unfolded within the confines of the royal bathroom. King Jin Haag, the sovereign ruler of Louria, was indulging in his customary bath, a goblet of fine wine in hand. His solitude was shared by two of his most trusted confidants - Prime Minister Maus and Patagene, the General of the Royal Defense Knights. They were present in the bathroom, attending to the king as he was being meticulously cleaned.

Upon their arrival, they respectfully addressed their monarch, "My king, we have arrived, answering your summons."

King Haak, without any preamble, got straight to the point, "Speak, when can we commence the invasion?"

Patagene, the seasoned general, responded with a sense of urgency, "Yes, my King, we are prepared to launch our invasion today. We have mobilized hundreds of foot soldiers near Gim, and our fleet of 4,000 vessels is halfway through the Qua-Toyne Sea, poised for the invasion of Maihark."

The king, ever the strategist, probed further, "Good. Is there anything that might pose a problem for our invasion?"

Patagene hesitated before revealing, "The supply is currently insufficient to sustain our soldiers. However, we could invade Gim to seize their resources. Our military is combat-ready and merely awaits your commands. But there is one concern. A month ago, our spies reported that an unknown country has established diplomatic relations with both Qua-Toyne and Quila. Following the negotiations, all our spies, except for one, have gone missing. This lone survivor managed to return and provide us with this information."

Prime Minister Maus, ever the skeptic, dismissed the concern, "General, the report suggests that this unknown entity is merely an archipelago country located 2,000km east of the Rodenius continent. It would take them days, if not weeks, to mobilize their troops to aid Qua-Toyne," he said, making an assumption that the unknown country was an island nation.

Patagene, however, remained unconvinced and held his ground, "We should still maintain a level of concern. Perhaps we should attempt to establish diplomatic talks with them, aiming to curry their favor so they refrain from intervening. The fact that our spies disappeared on the very day they finalized their diplomatic relations is a matter of concern. Therefore, we must avoid any actions that could potentially provoke them."

Maus retorted, "Nonsense, Patagene! No one is capable of capturing almost all our spies. Only the 1st civilization, the Holy Milishial Empire, possesses such capabilities. This must be propaganda designed to make us believe they've captured our spies and forced them to return to Lauria."

King Haak pondered over this, wondering why their spies hadn't returned if it was indeed propaganda. However, he dismissed the thought, finding it implausible. "Enough, Patagene. We will proceed with our plan to invade Qua-Toyne and Quila. We will annex them to gain full control over Rodenius."

In his mind, a delusion took root, 'I shall extinguish those vile Demi-humans to pave a new path for human supremacy.'

Suddenly, a thought struck him, "Wait, do we know the name of this unknown country?"

Maus responded, "Yes, my King. The unknown entity is reportedly known as the Solstice Empire. They claim to have a population of 800 million. However, I find this hard to believe. For a newly discovered country, such a large population is improbable. If true, they would be the most populated country, surpassing even the combined populations of the Holy Mirishial, Mu, and Parpaldia Empires."

King Haag nodded, "I see. So it is indeed propaganda. Contact Adem and instruct him to commence the invasion today. After this invasion, we will conquer this so-called Solstice Empire as well."

"Understood, my King," Maus acknowledged, before departing to relay the king's command to Adem via the communication tower. The stage was set for a grand invasion, the echoes of which would reverberate through the annals of history.

Louria Kingdom Eastern Subjugation Army near Gim 9:54 AM.

In the vicinity of Gim, the Eastern Subjugation Army of the Louria Kingdom was a hive of activity. Barricades were being erected, and new batches of soldiers were continuously arriving from afar, swelling the ranks of the army in preparation for an impending invasion. A hundred wyverns, majestic and fearsome, were already stationed at the hastily constructed airfield, awaiting their orders.

Nestled in the shade of a tree, Lieutenant General Adem, the commanding officer of the army, was observing his men. His attention was drawn by the approach of a man cloaked in a dark coat. "Lord Adem, I've heard of your promotion as the commander of the vanguard army. My congratulations on your new position, Commander Adem," the man in the dark coat said, his voice echoing in the stillness.

Adem responded with a hint of sarcasm, "Hmm, it took you quite a while to finally arrive. But that doesn't matter. Flattery won't get you anywhere, and I can see your insincere smiles clearly, even if you hide your face with that coat."

The man in the dark coat bristled at Adem's words, a hint of anger flashing in his eyes. "Adem, your words are as empty as your threats. You mistake my patience for fear. But keep pushing, and you'll see how we respond," he threatened.

Adem laughed, "Haha, couldn't you just accept my sarcasm? I apologize if it offended you in any way."

The man in the dark coat composed himself, "Very well, but please watch your tongue next time. Also, use the Wyverns we have provided to your heart's content."

Adem replied with a determined look in his eyes, "Yes, I will use them, to my heart's content, to turn those animals to ashes."

The man in the dark coat covered his mouth, a smile playing on his lips. "How scary, very scary indeed," he said, his voice laced with sarcasm. After a while, a messenger clad in white armor arrived on horseback, bearing news for Adem.

Adem, seeing the messenger, immediately walked towards him. "It appears I have a message. Please don't make me wait any longer, and tell me what news you have brought to me," Adem ordered the messenger.

"Lieutenant General Adem, you have been ordered under the king's command to mobilize and begin the invasion today," the messenger relayed.

Adem nodded, "I see. I shall begin the invasion then," he said, his voice resolute and filled with determination. The stage was set, and the wheels of war were about to turn.

Qua-Toyne Gim Army Base 10:08 AM.

In the vicinity of Gim, within the fortified walls of the Qua-Toyne Army Base, hours of tense anticipation had passed. Suddenly, a war cry echoed from the other side of the border, its chilling resonance piercing the silence of the night. The Qua-Toyne soldiers, many of whom were fresh recruits with minimal training, felt a wave of fear wash over them. They were not ready to face the harsh realities of the battlefield.

The war cry sent the birds into a frenzy, their flight a stark contrast against the thickening air of impending conflict. Atop a wooden watchtower, three soldiers stood guard. Among them was Captain Moizi, the commanding officer of the division. "That must be a war cry from the Louria Army, Captain Moizi," one of the soldiers remarked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Moizi nodded, his gaze never leaving the horizon. "It seems that our soldiers are already on the verge of routing," he said, his voice heavy with concern. 'It's understandable,' he thought, 'Almost half of them have no experience on the battlefield. This is likely to be one of the greatest battles we will face, a battle that no one would ever wish to experience.'

'We have built fortifications and mobilized all the troops we could gather from the western division. We have done our very best to defend Gim. I just hope it would be enough to at least hold Louria at bay, to buy time for our higher-ups. Yet, I can't shake off this sense of unease.' His thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a few Qua-Toyne Wyverns patrolling the sky. In the distance, the army of Louria was marching towards them in a formidable formation.

"The Louria Army has crossed the borderline, sound the alarm!" Moizi ordered. As the alarm was raised, the sky darkened ominously as hundreds of wyverns from Louria blotted out the sun, flying towards them.

One of the Qua-Toyne soldiers exclaimed in panic and disbelief, "What the... What is this absurd number of wyverns? This number easily surpasses our country's wyverns!!"

Moizi shared the disbelief, "How is this possible? We were told that they would only have 40 wyverns, but this... this is absurd. How can they acquire so many wyverns in just a few decades?" he wondered aloud.

As he grappled with the reality of the situation, he could hear the communication being transmitted from their wyvern riders. [This is Qua-Toyne's second wyvern squad, we are now going to engage with the enemy wyverns. For only wyverns can take down other wyverns. For Qua-Toyne!! And Captain, we leave the ground in your capable hands.]

Moizi turned to one of the communication personnel and gave them an order, "You two, inform the capital of our situation!" Upon his order, they immediately went to their positions and transmitted an emergency message.

The battle then began, starting with a fierce dogfight between the wyverns. Fireballs were exchanged, lighting up the sky with their deadly dance. But the Lourian wyverns proved to be more powerful and experienced. The Qua-Toyne wyverns fell one by one, but not before eliminating a few enemy wyverns. They perished in the flames of the enemy wyverns, their bodies consumed by fire.

From the ground, the Qua-Toyne soldiers watched in horror as their wyverns were defeated, their morale plummeting. From the distance, the Louria army was now getting closer. Unbeknownst to them, a Laurian Wyvern swooped down and shot a fireball, hitting the wooden wall.

Upon impact, a few Qua-Toyne Soldiers were burned alive, and the wall crumbled under the intense heat of the flame. Panic ensued among the Qua-Toynian soldiers as they scrambled to put distance between themselves and the enemy. This chaos allowed the Lourian forces to push forward, breaching the fortifications they had built. The Qua-Toynian soldiers were in a state of panic, their orderly ranks dissolving into chaos.

In the aftermath of the war cry, Moizi, stationed at the Qua-Toyne Gim Army Base, watched in growing anger as the Lourian forces advanced. 'This is nothing more than a one-sided slaughter,' he thought, his teeth clenched in fury. 'They wouldn't even grant us an honorable death!!'

The Lourians had managed to breach the defenses through the hole created by their wyvern. Swords clashed and sparks flew as the Qua-Toyne and Lourian forces engaged in combat. However, the Qua-Toyne were significantly outnumbered, unbeknownst to them, the Laurians had surrounded them, making escape an impossibility.

The Qua-Toyne ranks dwindled rapidly as the Lourians swung their swords and spears with deadly precision. Some Qua-Toyne soldiers were sliced in half, others were decapitated, and some were burned alive as they were thrown into the burning logs caused by the wyverns' fire.

As the battle raged on, the Lourians targeted the Qua-Toyne archers and mages, who posed a significant threat. A few hundred Laurians fell to the magic of the Qua-Toyne mages, and dozens more were felled by the archers. The Lourians struggled to overcome the mages, who were protected by a small barrier. However, after several minutes of intense fighting, the Lourians managed to break the barrier and eliminate the mages, causing the morale of the Qua-Toyne forces to plummet further.

Moizi, on the other hand, fought valiantly, taking down hundreds of Lourians single-handedly. The soldiers near Moizi managed to hold their own against the Lourians, their morale boosted by their captain's bravery. However, their spirits fell when they saw their last wyvern shot down by a Lourian wyvern, which then turned its attention to them, raining fireballs onto their ranks.

The fireballs obliterated dozens of Qua-Toynian soldiers. Their numbers continued to drop, man after man falling on the battlefield. Some of them were friends, some were family, but all met the same fate.

The battle raged on for half an hour. The base they had built was now completely burned due to the wyverns continuously shooting flames into the walls. A few Qua-Toyne archers were still stationed there, shooting arrows at the Lourian soldiers.

Moizi watched as his men fell, one by one. He realized too late that they were surrounded. The Lourians charged at them, splitting their ranks in half. Moizi was separated from his men and, despite managing to kill at least 14 more Lourians, he was eventually restrained and beaten.

The remaining Qua-Toynian troops lost all morale when they saw their captain being beaten. They tried to push through to reach their captain but to no avail. The Lourians had completely surrounded and outnumbered them.

They fell, one by one. Some surrendered, only to be ignored and killed on the spot. Some begged for mercy, but their pleas fell on deaf ears as they were relentlessly stabbed.

Once the battle ended, the Lourian soldiers marched towards Gim. Only a few civilians remained, but that didn't stop the Lourians from pillaging the town. They entered house after house, looting any valuables they could find. Some of them also started dragging away the village women and killing any men who tried to resist.

In the aftermath of the invasion, the Lourian forces showed no mercy. The Demi-Humans, those with animalistic features or beastkin, bore the brunt of their brutality. The elves, while treated somewhat better, were not spared from the Lourians' cruel intentions.

In a secluded corner, a Lourian Lieutenant watched his men with a satisfied smile. They were looting valuables, taking whatever they pleased. "What a flawless victory," he mused aloud, "I wouldn't even blame them for plundering. It is the right of the victor to do as they please. Besides, it's a good way to keep the morale of the troops high." His words hung heavy in the air as his men forced themselves upon the women - elves, humans, beastkin.

He turned to a soldier beside him, issuing a chilling order, "Tell our men to send dozens of Demi-Humans back to Louria. I want to butcher them myself. And make sure they don't kill a hundred after they've had their fun with them. Release them to spread fear."

After a while, his men returned with a captive. "Commander, we have captured the Captain of the enemy army, Captain Moizi. This guy put up quite a fight, taking down 14 of our men before we could finally subdue him." Adem, the commander, looked at his men with a smile, then turned his gaze to Moizi.

"Ah, the almighty Moizi. I've heard a lot about you. I apologize for making you wait," Adem said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He waited for Moizi to speak, but the captive remained silent, not even looking at Adem. "I see, a quiet one, are you? Well, I wouldn't blame you if you held a grudge against me since we just conquered Gim, a place you hold so dearly."

Adem signaled one of his troops near a covered carriage. As the cover was pulled back, Moizi looked at the carriage in shock and disbelief. "Father!!" his daughter yelled from inside the carriage.

"What are you doing here... Why are you here!?" Moizi demanded, his voice filled with despair.

Adem pondered aloud, "I wonder what we should do with them for a little show. Oh, right, how about this? Madam, if you die without making any sounds, I'll let your daughter live, along with your husband."

"Don't do it, he's just lying! He sees us Demi-Humans as mere animals!" Moizi yelled in desperation. But without a choice, his wife agreed to Adem's cruel game, praying that even if it wasn't true, they would at least let their daughter live. The soldiers then stripped her clothes and started ripping her chest open, her blood seeping out, giving her a slow, painful death. Moizi watched in despair and rage as he was then beheaded.

The daughter wasn't so lucky. They let her run away for a bit, and then an archer shot an arrow, piercing right through her. Her lifeless body fell to the ground, and the Lourians dragged her body and tied her up for the crows to feed on. Gim was now in ruins. Corpses were piled up and left for the wolves to feed on. 

The Lourians, having pillaged to their heart's content, started advancing to another city. The houses crumbled, and all valuables were taken from them, leaving the city in a state of desolation. A hundred elves and humans, exhausted from the Lourians' brutalities, were left behind and covered in bites.

...

Hello everyone,

This is your author speaking. I wanted to inform you all that I've made updates to both Chapter 3 and Chapter 4. There was a minor error in the name of the kingdom, 'Louria', which was mistakenly auto-corrected to 'Lauria'. This has now been corrected. Thank you for your understanding.