The continent of Simbar was roughly hexagonal in shape. From the top of the continent to the very bottom of it was a 4-month journey. It had similar parameters to Bulgar, but it was a more condensed populated continent.
Victor would need to travel through and past multiple cities on his way to Yanmen. He may have secured many cities thanks to his Brigade Commanders, but not all of them. The western side of the continent was the original domain of the Kingdom of Gu. It was possible that many of its people and settlements would continue the war, even if their Royal Family were dead.
Victor realised that he would have to use his remaining summons. He intended to save them, but when he looked at the soldiers he had available, he realised it was not enough. The newly summoned Simbarnese infantrymen would accompany Victor and their new commander on the way to Yanmen.
The newly summoned commander was a 3 star General named Bun Gen. He was a stocky and tall fellow with bushy black eyebrows that matched the colour of his long, wavy hair. His eyes were hazel, and he had a very thick beard that connected to his moustache. Unfortunately for him, his nose was slightly crooked and partially scarred.
Accompanying Victor and General Bun Gen were Marshal Lefebvre, Marshal Bessières, General Lasalle and General Rapp, along with all their corps. The remainder of the army would remain garrisoned in Xiangyang under the command of Field Marshal Schwarzenberg. General Kan Ki would act as his adjutant since he and his men could help with public relations.
The 9-week march to Yanmen was tiring, to say the least. Not only was the scorching sun smacking down on the army, but the possibility of attack mentally fatigued the soldiers. Every time they passed a city or a town, the Luxenberg soldiers had to keep their guard up. This was still unfamiliar territory for them, and they could not be sure if the locals were friends or foes.
Fortunately for them, the locals did not cause any problems, yet they were not necessarily warm towards them. Many of them wore cold expressions as they came across the Luxenberg Army, especially towards their countrymen who were fighting alongside their former enemy.
As each week passed, Victor grew more anxious to reach Yanmen. According to his reports, the Southern Army was stretched thin and had suffered many losses within the last four months.
The Kislevian raiders had the advantage of manoeuvrability; with their many ships, they could comb the southern coast, looking for optimal places to raid. Due to this, the commander of the Southern Army had to stretch his forces thinly. He had only 80,000 soldiers and 400 guns to deploy.
Victor did not know a lot about the commander; however, the intelligence reported that he was the highest-ranking commander of the Gu Army. It was also reported that he was a highly skilled commander who was loyally devoted to King Gu Tian. Since dealing with the threat of the Kislevian raiders was paramount, Gu Tian assigned the Southern Army to him.
There had been no news about General Gaku Rai and Teku Kei. Victor did not know if their forces had made it to Beihai. If they had been attacked on the road or upon their arrival, it would make matters significantly worse for Victor. Losing all those men would be a huge loss for the Luxenberg Army, especially when they needed as many Simbarnese soldiers as they could get.
When the Luxenberg forces had finally arrived at Yanmen, they were not greeted too kindly. At first, it was an intense standoff between the garrison and the Luxenberg soldiers. Neither side said a word, their gazes sharply fixated on one another.
As the tension grew, Victor rode out to the head of the column and addressed the Yanmen garrison. "Soldiers of Yanmen, I am King Victor Luxenberg. My men are not here as enemies, but as reinforcements. We are well aware of the situation and wish to help secure these lands. The war is over, and the Gu family no longer rule. I wish for there to be unity in these lands."
As Victor continued his speech, an elderly gentleman wearing a ragged officer's uniform approached the edge of the wall. His hair was whiter than snow, and his eyes were pale blue. In a croaky voice, the elderly officer replied, "So you are King Victor. I apologise for my men's rudeness, but when you arrive at the head of a foreign army, one can only assume the worst. Only a small host will be allowed to enter; the rest of your army must camp outside."
Victor did not protest and only brought along Marshal Bessières and a handful of his Royal Guard soldiers. They were escorted to a manor that was at the heart of the city. The manor was rather plain; there were no vibrant colours or lavish decorations. It was a garden of grey.
Victor and Marshal Bessières were seated on wooden chairs while the old officer was seated across them at his desk. The host began to make his introduction. "It is a pleasure to have you two here. My name is Lieutenant Bi Hei, a subordinate to Field Marshal Gai Mou. Firstly, we appreciate the advanced forces you sent to us in Beihai; they have proven to be helpful in defending the area."
Victor gave a short nod with a warm smile. The news of his men's safe arrival was a delight for him. Marshal Bessières was confused as to what men were talking about. His lack of knowledge of the Simbarnese language made it hard for him to join the conversation. Lieutenant Bi Hei continued to talk while the other two men listened intently.
"I understand that you have brought your army here to assist us, Your Majesty. To be honest, these reinforcements are crucial to our efforts. The Kislevian raiders have not only bulked up their forces significantly in the recent months, but their attacks have been more frequent, and some of them have even pushed deeper inland."
"Some of our fishing villages along the southwestern and southern coast have been captured and turned into staging points for Kislevian raiders. Given how thinly stretched we are, we do not have the manpower to sweep across the lands to rid these invaders from our shores. Our efforts have been solely focused on defending the three major cities."
Victor was unaware of how dire the situation had gotten. His intelligence reports had no mention of these events. Nevertheless, he and his men were ready to help.