Setongrad had valiantly stood its ground against a massive, three-month assault. But this time around, even the 1st Legion defending the fortress found themselves staring down the barrel of an existential crisis.
“FIRE! IT’S A FIRE!”
“Hurry up and put it out! Move it!”
A sudden blaze erupted, though fortunately not in the supply depot, but the ensuing chaos grew. As the flames raged, even the sentries were forced to abandon their posts to join the firefighting efforts.
And the Dedolant army? They weren’t about to miss such an opportunity. Without hesitation, they surged inside the fortress the moment they caught wind of the confusion.
Even the mighty 1st Legion could only do so much, tasked as they were with defending both the interior and the exterior. It was more than they could handle.
“Commander! This is madness! The enemy’s already taken the battlements!”
“They’ve also overrun the gates. Even if we send reinforcements, most of our soldiers are too tied up with fighting the fire!”
It was clear that holding on any longer was pointless. Stubbornness at this point would only lead to utter annihilation. The legion commander quickly assessed the situation and made the most suitable decision.
“We abandon the outer wall! Fall back and reinforce the inner passages, turning them into makeshift fortifications!”
The soldiers of the 1st Legion weren’t rookies; they were seasoned veterans who didn’t depend solely on walls for their defense. Anticipating situations like this, they’d already fortified the inner structures, twisting pathways into a maze-like labyrinth with obstacles to slow the enemy advance.
Taking advantage of this quick decision, they retreated from the outer wall with surprising order, showing no signs of confusion or panic despite the unexpected retreat orders.
Had there been any time for the Dedolant forces to notice this anomaly, they might have paused. But the relief and adrenaline rush from finally breaking through the gates had them blindly marching forward.
It wasn’t long before they realized the fight was far from over.
“What in the world…?!”
“The path is blocked! We can’t push further!”
“You fools! Stop the advance! If we don’t act quickly, we’ll end up bottlenecked with our own forces, unable to move!”
The battle was just beginning, starting with the labyrinthine entryways. The fortress was already huge, but the 1st Legion had fortified the insides even better than anticipated.
“d*mn it! We thought it was over! What is this nonsense?!”
“Don’t push! There’s no more room!”
Chaos erupted among the units. It was way too early to claim victory, but the excitement of some Dedolant soldiers overpowered the despair of others.
“Just a little more effort! The enemies who relied on the walls have lost them. Now they have nothing left!”
“Charge! Storm them like a tempest. Reclaim what’s ours! The glory of the Deo people is right in front of us! Let’s teach these empire dogs a lesson and show them the fear of Dedolant!”
Built-up anger exploded like an active volcano. Waves upon waves of Dedolant soldiers pushed forward as the 1st Legion consistently retreated further inside.
Surprisingly, during this frantic attack, the 1st Legion suffered minimal losses, cleverly drawing the enemy into the inner city for a war of attrition. It was almost as if they had foreseen and prepared for this exact scenario.
“Current situation?”
“A large number of Dedolant forces have breached the gates. We estimate at least over 20,000 have entered through the narrow path.”
“So many soldiers squeezed through that tight passage?”
Setongrad—the fortress that had doggedly tormented them for three months, now had its gates open. No soldier or commander would miss the chance to storm inside, with the allure of reclaiming the fortress driving them further forward.
“Are all the supplies redirected to the inner fortress?”
“Yes, Commander. Given the limited supply we have left, we completed the redirection very quickly.”
“Good. Don’t extinguish the fire; make it fiercer. The wind’s blowing toward the outside, perfect for spreading the fire to the Dedolant soldiers.”
Upon receiving the order, the 1st Legion soldiers intensified the fire. Soon, flames were blowing through the wind, heading toward the outer areas of the fortress.
“FIRE! FIRE!”
“d*mn it! This path is unusable!”
“Put the fire out first! For the glory of Dedolant—this fortress can’t be consumed by flames!”
Some worked to clear paths for their allies, while others, thinking of Dedolant’s honor, focused on putting out the fire. Their focus shifted from attacking the Empire’s inner stronghold to fighting the fire.
The news of this shift left the Dedolant command unsure of what to do. Moving forward with the battle was impossible while their soldiers struggled against the flames. All they could do was encourage the on-ground units who made this decision.
But contrary to the cool-headed soldiers on the field, the command was increasingly restless. The news of an Empire countermove from their earlier attacks had struck a nerve.
[After the situation at Setongrad, the western 5th Legion and the eastern allied kingdoms begin their movements.]
[Reinforcements halted the initial charge, but there remains a strong chance of a second assault.]
[Artria front requests support. Multiple signs of Nobogorod forces on the move.]
[Urgent report from Benito and the 5th Legion. The empire’s fresh reserve forces, recently trained, have joined the Benito front line.]
Too much time had been wasted. They were supposed to have already retaken the fortress and prepared for a counteroffensive. Sending reinforcements everywhere had left this area dangerously weak. Though they had breached the gates, complete occupation seemed days away.
With the situation this dire, the command knew it was time to make a decision. Completely retaking Setongrad or annihilating the Empire’s 1st Legion and retreating before moving on?
Choosing the former offered some leeway in case of unforeseen circumstances and allowed the troops, weary from the prolonged siege, a brief rest. However, a hollow victory wouldn’t feel like a win—it might even feel like defeat, given the growing unrest among the soldiers.
On the other hand, opting for the latter would take at least a few more days. A risky move given how even minor delays could change everything. Unknown enemies could be closing in.
But Dedolant had faced and crushed such threats before. Wiping out the 1st Legion would boost morale significantly. Recapturing this fortress and removing the Seton name from history would reshape their internal dynamics.
“From this victory, let’s first silence Dugal and continue to negotiate with Ross Tannika. If we can hold the battlefronts in Artria and Benito, with the support of the local troops and one more push to thwart the Empire’s plan, they’ll be left with little choice but to negotiate.”
When gains outweigh losses, the choice becomes obvious, especially when the decision-makers have always played the game this way. Years of no significant results had left the officers thirsty for a real breakthrough.
[Message to all Dedolant forces:]
[Setongrad retaking imminent. We’ll redirect any spare reserves to other regions as soon as the situation allows.]
[After securing the situation, we’ll reorganize forces and prepare for the Empire’s next offensive.]
[Hold the local line. With perseverance, the odds will swing our way.]
Command resolved to completely suppress Setongrad, regardless of how long it took to control the fires or cleanse the enemy. They wanted to break the Empire’s spirit and rally the troops across different fronts with hope and ambition.
But the news the following day shattered their expectations—”Communication with the rear has been cut?”
“All magical communications were cut off yesterday afternoon. I’ve sent someone to inspect the magical relay station—it seems there’s an issue.”
The “rear” didn’t refer to the areas near Setongrad but far behind, deep in Dedolant-controlled territory—a location well away from the current battleground.
With no expectation of trouble from such a place, they were blindsided when—
“Urgent report from the flanks! A large Imperial army has suddenly emerged!”
“What? A large army? I thought the only forces nearby were the western legion that retreated recently and the allied kingdoms?”
“It’s still under investigation, but these appear to be forces that reinforced northern and southern fronts recently, flying the banners of the Eastern and Southern Legions!”
At the revelation, the minds of Dedolant’s command raced. If this was the Empire’s ruse, perhaps the aim was to reinforce their flanks, halt any further advancement, and prevent them from redistributing troops too freely.
“We must secure Setongrad and counter them before falling into their trap.”
But if this turned out to be a real two-pronged assault? If the previous support for the northern and southern fronts was merely a decoy, and this was their main maneuver?
What did that mean for their frontal assault here?
“Strengthen both flanks immediately! We have several units waiting outside the fortress, use them…”
“Scouting report! A massive cavalry force detected behind our lines—minimum of 8,000!”
“What nonsense is this? When did the Empire operate cavalry independently? Aren’t they always auxiliary forces for the legions? How could we miss their movements entirely?”
This made no sense. This was Dedolant’s land, their home turf. Their scouts wouldn’t get lost, nor would they miss shortcuts. Yet an army of thousands infiltrated without being detected?
“…Hold on.”
“Could it be?”
A memory from recent events struck the command like a lightning bolt. The sudden instability at Setongrad, the retreat of the Imperial forces in supposed support of them, the movement of troops from both flanks, the reinforcements seemingly there to guard the sides…
There was a gap. A brief window they didn’t foresee. Not through carelessness, but because that was how the Empire orchestrated their ploy.
They’d dangled bait—again and again—until Dedolant had to bite. And now, as they stepped into the massive trap, they realized too late the Empire aimed not just to block them but to sever their escape routes entirely.
“Oh no.”
The memory of their own past encirclement of the Empire now haunted them. And now, Dedolant found themselves in the same position, on the other side of history.
