Let the clock rewind, back before the Empire ever declared war.
Secretly, within the grand halls of Dedolant’s War Department, a meeting was quietly unfolding.
“…If we proceed this way, we’ll have to throw at least twenty-thousand of our forces straight into the Empire’s waiting arms. Only then will they stroll right into our trap without a second thought.”
“Your Highness, those twenty-thousand are just a baseline estimate. To ensure they don’t grow suspicious, we’ll need to stage convincing counterattacks, which will inevitably result in retreats. Considering all that, our losses might easily soar over thirty-thousand.”
Prince Georg III merely nodded at the commanders’ and strategists’ grim reports.
Thirty-thousand. It was undeniably a heavy toll. Each soldier was, after all, an irreplaceable life. To hand them over willingly? That stung like tearing flesh away from your own body.
But what could they do? In that moment, it was Dedolant’s finest play, their ultimate gambit.
To lure the Imperial Legions deep into their territory and strike with one decisive blow—this was their best shot.
“Stealthily withdraw our main forces from the border regions, ensuring the Empire doesn’t catch on.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“And transfer the elite troops stationed in Ross Tannika to the Empire’s frontlines as inconspicuously as possible. We mustn’t be discovered. If they do uncover our scheme, it mustn’t be until later when it’s too late.”
“Would Your Excellency doubt the plan?”
For over a decade, Dedolant had been embroiled in one conflict after another, weathering both victories and defeats. Each battle added layers to their collective experience — not just among the commanders but deeply ingrained into the very fiber of their foot soldiers.
As soon as the order came, the elite main forces tactically retreated into the shadows, leaving behind troops drawn from Artria and reserve forces. Though capable, they were far from Dedolant’s finest, making their deployment nothing short of heart-rending.
Yet, for the grand deception to succeed, for the final payoff, Dedolant’s strategists were willing to offer a piece of their own flesh. After all, they’d receive their due in bl**d and interest.
“Enemy forces of the Empire are advancing. A colossal army composed of eleven Legions is moving our way.”
“The border has been breached! The forces of Artria and reserves positioned there as decoys are crumbling!”
“There’s a risk of information leaks. We can’t afford to let this drag out any longer.”
Despite the flurry of incoming updates, Dedolant’s command staff waited patiently. The combined presence of Dedolant and their ally, Artria, was a convincing guise. Their reserve forces, though not elites, still carried battle-hardened experience. No suspicion would arise.
The imperial Western Legion began to push forward conspicuously, separating from the rest. They were faster, almost eagerly darting ahead of their Eastern and Southern counterparts. It seemed the Empire intended to spearhead their assault with them, aiming to pierce straight to Dedolant’s heart.
This was Dedolant’s land. Familiar to their every soldier, scout, and commander—it naturally granted them a decisive edge in receiving and acting upon intelligence faster than the Empire.
“The Western Legion has detached from their allies.”
“Based on current movements, the Imperial General Staff appears to advocate a more aggressive approach. Their speed has significantly increased from earlier.”
Finally, the moment of opportunity arrived. The time for which they had so long waited and prepared came.
Prince Georg Systania, the Third Prince of Dedolant, issued his command across the entirety of his armies.
“To Dedolant’s proud sons! Commence the counteroffensive come dawn across all frontlines.”
The elite forces had crouched, hidden, and waited for this precise order. Bristling with pent-up energy, they surged forth like a tempest unleashed, their hearts heavy with the sacrifices made on their behalf.
Coincidentally, the situation was tipping decisively in Dedolant’s favor. The Empire’s war ministry and strategists had locked onto a clear goal: accepting Dedolant’s surrender and concluding the war triumphantly before the New Year Celebration.
In accordance, their First Army surged forward at breakneck speed, buoyed by a streak of victories. The Western Legion acted as their spear-tip, driven by an insidious streak of competition with other Legions.
The Eastern and Southern Legions were already lauded legends of previous successes, enjoying their well-earned accolades. The Western Legion could only shrink in comparison. Meanwhile, though on a smaller scale, the Northern Legion had secured a decisive victory against Nobogorod.
Blinded by continued successes, the Imperial High Command mistook excitement for caution. Greedily aiming to seal the war in their own honor, the Western Legion fell perfectly into Dedolant’s trap.
“Pay no heed to the enemy infiltrating our interior. Cut off the Empire’s midsection!”
“Even the mighty Imperial Legions, when isolated, can barely muster half their conventional strength.”
“They’ve surely staked everything on this battle. We can’t merely block them; we must shatter their blades completely!”
The Western Legion jutting out, flanked by the Eastern and Southern Legions, found Dedolant’s elite warriors mercilessly carving through the gaps.
Attempting to prevent envelopment, the flanking forces mobilized desperately. But they were facing an overwhelmingly meticulous trap that Dedolant had meticulously sharpened.
No matter their reputation, the sheer mass of Dedolant’s counteroffensive was a force not easily subdued.
Most importantly, targeting the enemy’s heart was the objective of the mission. Rather than advancing comprehensively, the plan relied on creating a quick spear-tip to jab into the Empire’s exposed flank.
Had they been more cautious, considering multiple factors, this trap might not have worked. But Dedolant’s meticulous bait, combined with the Empire’s months of unending triumphs, created a perfect storm.
“General Staff! Urgent report from the front! Dedolant has launched a counteroffensive!”
“If their counterattack is on par with ones we’ve faced before, surely we can suppress them, right?”
“Not this time! The scale of their assault is entirely different from any we’ve encountered! The Eastern and Southern Legions, guarding the flanks, have halted their advance. They’re struggling even to hold their positions!”
At the grim report, the Chief of Staff’s neck tingled with cold apprehension.
By now, the Western Legions had ventured too deep into Dedolant’s territory. And as any soldier knows, it’s far harder to retreat than to advance—especially when surrounded on all sides.
“Contact the Northern Legion immediately! Inform them they must support the Eastern—and if needed, the Southern Legions—to push back the enemy! Deploy the entirety of the mage brigade; if retreat routes are severed, the Western Legions will be isolated without supplies!”
“General Staff! The Northern Legion also faces Dedolant’s counteroffensive! They report no spare capacity available!”
“Impossible! Didn’t Dedolant use all their elites here? We were informed there were over twenty-thousand elite soldiers stationed near Ross Tannika!”
Piecing together the picture soon became clear from Special Intelligence reports and subsequent updates from Ross Tannika. Dedolant had been planning this since long before the war even began—perhaps even predating the initial conflict.
Using a deliberate offering of thirty-thousand troops early in the war, they lulled the Empire into complacency. They allowed the Empire to grow arrogant and march willingly into their carefully prepared trap. Familiar terrain and the increasing distance from their intelligence networks only deepened the Empire’s disadvantage.
And in those gaps, Dedolant’s ambush teams, lurking throughout the area, sprang to action like wolves pouncing from their hiding spots.
“Reporting the appearance of Dedolant’s mage battalion!”
“Location?”
“According to scouts, directly flanking the Western Legion!”
“d*mn! Their encirclement strategy is far too obvious!”
Even with mounted cavalry forces, retreat is rarely an effortless task. For the infantry-heavy Imperial Legions, withdrawal was nearly impossible.
Though the Empire attempted to deploy their mage regiments for support, in this operation speed was of the essence, and the Western Legion’s position as the spear-tip limited their effectiveness.
Only a small contingent of mages accompanied them—a decision now revealed to be catastrophic. Magic could only be countered by magic, and in numbers, Dedolant held the decisive advantage. The scales tipped brutally in favor of Dedolant.
“We must retreat from all entry points before they’re seized!”
“Prioritize withdrawal for the 1st Legion and 5th Legion, while keeping the 9th and 14th behind! If we’re all enveloped, we’re done for!”
In an all-out desperate bid, Dedolant’s armies fought ferociously to tighten their encirclement, while the Eastern, Southern, and Northern Legions battled fiercely to prevent their comrades from being trapped within.
As the Western Legion, pushing deep into Dedolant’s heart, faced imminent cutoff from withdrawal, Dedolant struck the decisive blow.
“Follow me! Sweep away these marionettes of the Empire!”
The legendary Third Prince, Georg Systania, joined the battlefield himself, leading Dedolant’s elite royal guard in a thunderous charge from the North. They finally succeeded, sealing the encirclement.
“General Staff! Urgent message from the front! Local defenses are unsustainable! Casualties are immense!”
“Not yet… not yet! The Western Legion hasn’t retreated properly!”
“If we don’t act, the Eastern Legion will be overwhelmed too!”
In the end, the Imperial command, with heavy hearts, was forced to issue the general retreat order across all frontlines. While the Eastern, Southern, and Northern Legions, with their safer retreat routes, would fare better than the others, the Western Legions were doomed.
As fate decreed, two of the Legions would remain trapped.
One week later, the truth was brought to light by the few who managed a narrow escape.
[The Empire’s Western 9th Legion and 14th Legion: Annihilated]
