-Chapter 210-

-Chapter 210-

"I am glad you all responded so quickly to my summons."

"When the great Lord Samwell calls, we humble servants can only come running," Corian said sarcastically, pretending to joke, though I was convinced he harbored a bit of resentment, believing my appointment was undeserved.

‘Especially because of my lack of initiative and ingenuity in facing this siege that had lasted far too long.’

‘But it was Aegon’s will, and I could not afford to break his plan—a plan I am just beginning to discern and which will lead us to a resounding and unprecedented victory,’ I thought, eagerly awaiting the end of this day.

Most laughed at Corian’s "joke," and I did the same. I smiled despite his jab, then said:

"I wouldn’t have disturbed the sleep of our princess for my small whims, but I thought the Emperor’s instructions deserved such an honor. Perhaps I was mistaken?"

"Ooh, it seems our little Sam has become a man, and he’s finally grown a pair," Jonothor said, laughing uproariously, his infectious laugh causing everyone else to laugh as well, easing the brief tension caused by Corian’s jealousy.

"So, what are we going to do?" Dorian asked, eager to know if he would once again have to endure the relentless attacks from our assailants, given that his Legion was on duty today.

"Other than waiting to starve like rats in this shithole of a city?" Corian added, his tone still dripping with sarcasm.

I rolled my eyes and was about to respond, but Jordy beat me to it, saying:

"Shut up, Corian. You know damn well we’re not going to starve. The Emperor is ensuring the supplies."

Corian did not react expressively but replied coldly and seriously this time:

"Unfortunately, the Purple Fleet is finally setting sail. The Velaryon fleet, which had been supplying us until now, will no longer be able to, as they’ll have to choose between us and defending our maritime territories."

Everyone fell silent, unaware of this news.

Even I had only recently been informed.

Corian continued, trying to sow more doubt among us:

"We will lose our dominance over the—"

"You don’t understand," Tristan said in a neutral but cutting tone, utterly unfazed by Aegon’s cautious strategy.

"What don’t I understand?" Corian asked, narrowing his eyes at Tristan.

‘Those two never got along,’ I thought, sighing, not wanting a dispute to erupt before this decisive day.

"All the Free Cities of Essos have thrown their full strength at us and still haven’t managed to push us back an inch."

"Just because it hasn’t happened doesn’t mean it won’t. If Samwell summoned us, it’s probably because the Emperor sent him new instructions, and I’m sure they are more offensive."

Corian slightly raised his eyebrows before asking me:

"Is what he’s saying true?"

I smiled and replied:

"Yes, the Emperor has given me very specific instructions."

"What kind of instructions?" Corian pressed, urging me to answer.

‘If you let me finish my sentences, you might already know,’ I thought, taking a deep breath to keep my composure.

"We are to destroy the enemy army today," I said, succinctly summarizing Aegon’s expectations.

Corian raised his eyebrows in disbelief, then said:

"An army three times larger than ours, in one day? That’s outright collective suicide."

"Three times the number of Legions, not three times the number of our soldiers," I corrected.

Although I couldn’t be entirely sure, we had eliminated around 50,000 enemy soldiers.

By my rough calculations, they had about 290,000 soldiers left, while we could still field 88,000 legionnaires ready to fight.

‘Not to mention the 30,000 noble soldiers from the Reach who followed my father’s example and chose to show their loyalty to the Emperor,’ I thought.

"So you’re saying we’re going to win thanks to 30,000 peasants?" Corian said, this time mocking my perspective.

"My soldiers have been properly trained," my father said as he entered at that moment, instantly challenging anyone with his gaze.

‘That had the desired effect,’ I thought as I watched everyone rise out of respect. Although the title of Imperial Knight protected the Legion commanders, it didn’t grant the same nobility as that of a likely future Governor of the Reach.

‘He earned the Emperor’s favor by fully siding with him, even if it meant going against the general consensus,’ I observed silently. Everyone in the room knew it, and that’s why he was so respected.

"I meant no disrespect, Your Excellency, but—"

"But you’re skeptical about the effectiveness of my troops because they haven’t seen combat, correct? And because this will be their first battle?"

No one responded, but deep down, even I had doubts. That’s why I had planned to mix legionnaires with the soldiers from my father’s army.

"I knew, even before setting sail to join you, what my mission and that of my troops would be. That’s why we’ve been training," my father said.

"For what exactly?" Elric asked, sensing that something significant was about to happen.

"We’re not here to support you or follow you onto the battlefield. No, our one and only mission is to hold the walls of Pentos for one day. Regardless of the losses in our ranks, what has been asked of me—what has been asked of them—what the Emperor has ordered us, is simply to hold for a single day against our attackers," my father explained, accompanied by my younger brother.

‘He shouldn’t be here,’ I thought, concerned for my little brother.

"It’s a… risky idea," Corian said, choosing his words carefully in front of my father, before adding, "The Emperor will not be pleased if this turns into a total failure."

"I’ve proven myself as a commander long before you were even born, so don’t worry. The Emperor will be more than satisfied," my father replied, completely silencing Corian.

Corian rolled his eyes and stopped talking. I stepped in to support my father:

"Either way, you have no choice. This is my order: the troops under my father’s command will be sent today to buy us time. They are to gain as much time as possible, and once the enemy’s forces are strained and exhausted, we will strike."

"Who will lead the charge?" Jonothor asked eagerly, his thirst for battle fueled by frustration over our inaction.

"You will, Jonothor. I will take command of the Dark Guard. You must cut through the stragglers and create a breach in the enemy lines, which I will exploit by taking full control of our Legions. They must unite into a single force. That’s how we will win," I explained.

"I still don’t understand why now, and especially where the Emperor’s confidence in our victory comes from," Corian asked, ever the skeptic.

‘It’s been a while since we’ve heard from him,’ I thought, rolling my eyes inwardly.

‘He’s far too afraid of dying,’ I thought, understanding his attitude.

"The Emperor’s message contained more than just instructions. It also brought great news."

"What great news?" Jonothor asked, the most curious among us.

"We’ve taken Lys and Tyrosh, giving us total control of the Stepstones. And the Emperor is, at this very moment, destroying the Volantene fleet," I said with a broad smile.

"So, it’s a full-scale counterattack," Corian said, smiling for the first time and visibly relieved. The Emperor’s direct involvement made it clear that total war had officially begun.

"Hmmm… The Emperor was very clear about what he wants us to do. Our sole mission is to destroy this army in one day, so we can then focus on controlling the Rhoyne," I said, nodding.

"To sever all connections between the Free Cities of Essos," Corian added, now noticeably more optimistic.

"I imagine that’s the case," I replied, pleased that this news had reignited his fighting spirit while suppressing his excessive skepticism and lack of faith.

"That’s a damn good plan. Once this war is over, we’ll likely have taken the three bastards, the Rhoyne, and Pentos. The Empire will be the greatest and most powerful nation in the known world," Cedric said, also visibly relieved by the news.

‘Like all of us,’ I thought, observing the newly brightened expressions around the room.

‘The legionnaires, too, will be invigorated when they learn that the Emperor has broken our stalemate,’ I thought to myself.

"Let’s hope that’s the case for us, because that would mean we’ll be generals of the greatest Empire in the world," Carvin said, eager to crush our enemies.

‘Like all of us. Once we’ve defeated this army, we’ll be immortal heroes of the Empire,’ I thought.

"The Second Great Empire of the Dawn," I said, raising my glass of water.

"To the new golden age. Nobody better die before we get there," Corian said, raising his own glass, a predatory smile now plastered on his face.

"To the new golden age," the others echoed, raising their glasses as well.

‘And they don’t even know about our trump card yet,’ I thought, calmly sipping my water.