Divine Luck: SSS-Rank Battle Maid Harem-Chapter 446: Early Empire
Zach could not honestly say that he was excited to go with Yan, but since Yan was in charge, he also couldn’t say he didn’t like it, so he just stayed silent while the second prince of the Empire and the military officers of Rittel discussed the plan and any necessary details.
Since Yan was on board with the idea, no others were brought up. Zach, Yan, Lahso, and Garad would be entering the territory occupied by the barbarians to wage guerilla warfare.
It was not a good plan since the barbarians wouldn’t just let themselves be harassed. Yan was also a highly valuable hostage to the point where the barbarians could send one of their powerful fighters to capture him. It should be fine as long as they didn’t find out his identity, though.
Instead of getting taken hostage, he would just be killed in the fight.
Zach wasn’t even sure the prince could fight. But Lahso would more than make up for that. Zach had still yet to see the knight in action since he didn’t have to do anything other than block a few arrows last night, but he could feel that Lahso was strong.
If there was anything to look forward to, it would be seeing Lahso fight. So, Zach didn’t obstinately oppose Yan tagging along.
Time was of the essence.
Yan and Zach cooperated with the military officers to set a few guidelines for the defense and how they should fortify the city with or without reinforcements from the Empire. Protecting the city and keeping it in Imperial hands was important, but more important than that was keeping it out of the barbarians’ hands.
If necessary, they might have to bring down the walls and torch it just to weaken the barbarians’ hold over the land. But that was a last resort. And it would only be done after the barbarians had taken the city or were on the verge of doing so.
Before it came to that, the city’s troops would do everything in their power to hold off the barbarians.
Zach had proposed a drawn-out strategic retreat. They would trick as many barbarians into the city as possible before setting it on fire and trapping them inside while they retreated deeper into the Empire while filling their tracks with traps to slow down and waste the barbarians’ resources if they pursued.
The military officers and the city’s troops did not like that idea. They wanted to defend the city if possible and would only give it up when it was impossible to do so. As long as there was hope, they would cling to the city.
It was their home. Zach couldn’t make them leave.
But what good was having a home if they were dead?
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Zach did not voice his doubt even until he left the city with his maids, Yan, Lahso, and Garad. Since going undiscovered and being able to traverse any terrain was more important than speed, they went on foot, leaving the horses behind.
As they left the city behind, Zach couldn’t help but feel a little excited. He was, in a way, back home. But it was entirely different. The air was different. The circumstances were different.
It reminded him of his first year at the Academy before he only dealt with the Underworld. The expeditions into the forest when he and his friends had to be wary and on alert at all times in case monsters attacked them.
There shouldn’t be as many monsters in the East as in the forest by the Academy, but the barbarians would take their place.
But at that thought, Zach’s mood dampened slightly.
The barbarians weren’t monsters or bloodthirsty underworlders trying to take over the surface. They were just humans from a different place with different history and different values. He was pretty sure they were human the same as him and the rest of the Empire, at least.
He had no reason to think they were anything else. They looked the same, they spoke the same language, and they died the same.
That was why Zach didn’t like the thought of killing them or them killing his fellow imperial citizens.
He wasn’t so soft that he wouldn’t do it. His home and his freedom was at stake. But that didn’t mean he had to like it.
Zach sighed before glancing at Yan, who had gradually stopped panting after the rest slowed down to accommodate him.
"Why do the barbarians want our land?" he asked.
The barbarians would never get an opportunity like this again. Logically, something like the entire Evandiel family up and vanishing with most of their troops should never happen. It should not be possible.
This was their best chance at ever invading the Empire. Your next read awaits at novelbuddy
But they were still losing a lot, and after the initial advance into the Eastern territory, their progress was slow. The glory of conquering part of the Empire shouldn’t be worth it.
Or so Zach thought. But maybe the leaders of the barbarians thought otherwise.
Yan frowned slightly at Zach’s sudden question. It was a good question that was easy to miss in the face of the war. The why wasn’t as important as the how or how to stop it.
"I have heard that the land beyond the border isn’t very arable. Life out there is harsh. Maybe they’re tired of that?" Yan answered uncertainly.
He might be a prince, but he wasn’t deeply entrenched in the politics between the two nations. He could only guess the barbarians’ reasons for invading.
"You’re right, Your Highness. The land further east is stony, harsh, and lifeless in comparison to the lushness of the Evandiel duchy. Sustaining life is hard, but the barbarians have lived there for centuries. They have adapted and found a way to live," Garad said with the experience of living as the barbarians’ neighbor for a lifetime.
"But if it’s not because they want our fertile lands, then why?" Yan asked.
"Do you know about the Empire’s early history, Your Highness?" Garad asked.
Yan nodded slowly. As an imperial prince, he knew the Empire’s history better than most. But it was long. Even the part defined as the Empire’s early history was a couple of centuries.
However, there was a common theme to that part.
The Empire’s expansion.
"...You’re saying the barbarians just want more?" Yan asked.
"..." Garad shrugged.
