Chapter 64Lucius the First ordered the Bikpa King and the n.o.ble families that were present at the banquet to be removed from the official records. Only those n.o.bilities who surrendered before the tournament took place were spared. Anyone and everyone who was a.s.sociated with Gali the Third was hung upside down alive on the castle wall. Their screams never stopped and by the second day, the birds began to eat them alive. The strong winds caused them to smash into the stone walls, and many of them began to bleed. There were some whose ropes got untied and fell to the ground.
And finally, after a week, the screams stopped.
Despite the gruesome punishment, no one faulted Lucius the First. In fact, the people believed he saved the Bikpa nation from being starved to death by their own king.
Later, Lucius the First found the messages that were exchanged between Gali the Third and the rulers of other kingdoms.
"Idiot…"
It seemed that Gali the Third was following the idiotic suggestions by the other rulers. He was born a king, but he certainly did not act like one. He had no honor or bravery.
The kingdoms surrounding Bikpa never had any intention of helping. They were using Bikpa as bait to buy time.
The three kingdoms near Bikpa had their own confederation. Fighting this confederation was going to be very different than fighting an individual kingdom.
This three-kingdom confederation had been in power of the middle continent for a long time. The greatest of this group was Kopi.
The three kingdoms formed a half-moon shape. In the middle of them was the Msmel forest. The south of it was Kopi, the west was Mongsheim, and the east was occupied by Oz. Above them all was Bikpa.
Msmel forest was a heavily wooded jungle, especially in the middle. Even during the daytime, it was dark as the night inside the forest. It provided overabundant woods for the three kingdoms, as well as protection from each other"s attacks. No one dared to cross the Msmel forest.
It was said that anyone who went deep into the forest disappeared and was never to be seen again. Therefore, to get to Kopi, Lucius the First had to go around it. The confederation was ready for the Acreian attack. While Lucius the First dealt with Bikpa, they finished their military preparation.
The Acreian emperor needed to get ready as well. Rather than beginning to move immediately towards Kopi, the smart thing was to recuperate, both in terms of supply and manpower. Lucius the First also wanted to help the Bikpan people by fairly distributing the food and other supplies from the Yapa castle.
Those soldiers who were injured severely were ordered to stay in Bikpa until their recovery. The Acreians also held a memorial for the soldiers who died during the battle. Their bodies were burned and only their bones and armors were to be sent back to Acreia. Their flesh was buried here in Bikpa. Lucius the First was busy with their preparation for the next battle, but he made sure to attend all the funerals and memorials for his soldiers.
The Bikpa n.o.bles, who were hung upside down on the wall, were left to rot, but the Bikpa Princess"s body was wrapped in cotton to be buried. No gravestone was given to her, which meant that in two years, her gravesite was going to disappear.
During these busy days, one thing bothered Lucius the First.
Msmel Forest.
It was nicknamed the heart of the continent.
The soldiers of the confederation knew the forest well, while the Acreian soldiers were ignorant of its geography and history. The citizens of the three kingdoms were used to living nearby the forest because although the middle of the Msmel was considered dangerous, its outer areas were relatively safe.
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Acreia vs. The three-kingdom confederation.
The Acreian knights were concerned about being attacked from the forest, and their worries came true. Unexpected arrows were shot from the forest, killing some of the Acreian soldiers. From then on, the Acreian knights made sure to be wary of the forest. Beforehand, the Acreians were confident in dealing with the wooded area because they were used to hunting in the forests back home. However, what they did not consider was the fact that Msmel forest was filled with heavily branched and unusually tall trees, unlike their Acreian forests.
The battles between them were vicious and large-scaled. Because there were many flatlands in the middle continent, many battles were fought on horseback and by the spearmen. Archers played a huge role as well.
On the vast field, the flags of four kingdoms danced in the wind.
Acreia, Kopi, Mongsheim, and Oz.
The land gained one day was lost the next day, and this happened over and over again. Each battle ended in many casualties. Severe injuries and constant battles were worrisome. Based on his calculation, Lucius the First knew the longer this lasted, the less likely he was going to win this war. The confederation had all the advantages because they were fighting from their own territory. The Acreians tried their best, but they were not gaining any significant land so far.
Lucius the First murmured, "If this lasts a long time, it can"t be good for us…"
It has already been five years since he left Nanaba with a big dream. So far, he was able to unite the northern continent and even conquer one kingdom in the mid-region.
Five years was a long time. A boy could become a man in five years. A baby would grow up enough to run in five years.
Coincidently, it was also enough time for a foreign knightess, who fought naked against the Acreian soldiers one time, to become the Acreian emperor"s personal guard.
Lucius the First divided his army into two. Sir Bentier was a.s.signed to the west, which meant Mongsheim, while Lucius the First was to take care of Oz in the eastern area. This was how they conquered Aehas and Kukda at the same time a few years ago.
In a situation like this, one genius knight such as Sir Ainno was unfortunately unhelpful. He may be able to fight against many soldiers, but not against the hundreds and thousands of enemy soldiers.
One of the knights said during the strategy meeting, "At this rate, this war is going to take 10 years."
"That is too long," Lucius the First replied.
"Oh, isn"t that actually a rather short time for a war?"
Poliana was used to the war between Aehas and Kukda, which lasted for decades. When she suggested 10 years was not a long time, everyone in the tent glared at her. Feeling awkward, she looked down and pretended to read the map on the table.
Lucius the First tapped the table. It was his habit whenever he was contemplating something. The knights looked down at his fingers uneasily.
The emperor then announced, "We will win. I will win. But for now… it seems that I can"t find a solution to this problem. These battles we are going through are meaningless… How did Aehas and Kukda kings fight for so long? What were they thinking?"
Poliana smiled bitterly because she felt the same way. What Lucius the First was saying was correct.
Looking around the tent, the emperor finally asked, "It was Sir Pol who found a solution when we were stuck at the Koemong River. Now, is there someone who thinks they can fix our current problem?"