The next day back at Border Town Castle, Iron Axe brought all the intelligence he had gathered during the interrogation.
"Are these just the advance troops of Tifiko?" Roland asked, frowning.
"Indeed, Your Highness," Iron Axe nodded. "As you had suspected, Tefiko Wemberton's strategy was to dispatch successive militia units to attack the western frontier. He employed the same tactics against Giasia Wemberton at Port of Clear Waters beyond the western border." "All civilians?" "Not entirely," he replied. "There were criminals, rats, and mostly refugees gathered from various regions. According to the enemy Knight, Tefiko first sedated them with verbal promises after forcibly conscripting them, then administered the first batch of pills. This compelled them to submit to Tefiko's control, driving them to seek more pills to alleviate their suffering and cravings." "But they didn't realize that once the pills were swallowed, there was no possibility of recovery," Roland sighed deeply. "More pills only served to delay their demise." "Yes, Your Highness. Tefiko didn't inform the militia about the side effects of the drugs. They believed that after fighting for the 'New King,' they would receive the promised status and rewards." "What was the purpose of this unit?" Roland asked.
"Border Town," the Iron Axe replied swiftly, "because Sir Vincent, who has already fallen, believed the town's lack of walls made it easier to achieve attrition warfare. He estimated that a thousand pill-swallowing militiamen could be exchanged for around three thousand casualties, which would deal a heavy blow to Border Town. However..." "However what?" "Snake also confessed that Tefiko assigned them another task: dividing the militiamen into multiple groups to attack the town, ensuring their own safety while observing your response and combat effectiveness. I think... he must have noticed the issue of the leader Knight not returning from the previous attack." "No one returned this time either," Prince shrugged. "Since they're just pre-deployed forces for attrition, do these two know Tefiko's follow-up attack plan?" "Not much, but the scale will far exceed the previous two attacks." Roland's hatred flared—these were living laborers being used as cannon fodder wave after wave? Even if he defeated the enemy unscathed, it would still be a Pyrrhic victory. More important than resisting Tefiko's invasion was stopping this meaningless war—otherwise, how long would he have to wait after unifying Graycastle for the population to thrive again?
"The Demon's Moon's arrival will blanketing the western borderlands in snow, rendering major forces immobile. By sea, our convoys would be stretched thin—costly and vulnerable to ambushes," he declared. "To launch this offensive this year, we must act before winter's blizzard. The population census must precede the winter, with militia recruitment completed at the earliest." "Your plan is..." Roland closed his eyes, pondering before continuing, "to stall the war." "Send envoys or diplomatic letters? Tefiko Wemberton won't comply with your wishes," Iron Axe said gravely.
"No, that approach wouldn't be effective," he mused. "To deter the enemy's offensive, we need two objectives: first, to reduce their population pool, and second, to make them realize the futility of a prolonged war and develop wariness toward the Western Frontier. My original plan was for Barov to deploy scouts to spread news of frontier expansion, drawing impoverished people from beyond the cities to migrate voluntarily. But this strategy proved too slow and overly cautious. To secure the population before Tefiko's arrival, we must take the initiative to engage and recruit them, as we did during the last capital campaign. The most vulnerable regions are the war-torn Southern Frontier, followed by the northern territories of the kingdom—this will likely require deploying the First Army." "Recruitment alone would require a fifty-man squad," Iron Axe added without hesitation. "We're not operating near cities, so direct combat isn't necessary." "I'll discuss the detailed plan with you once I've finalized it," Roland nodded.
The border town requires a main force for defense, and the dispatched squad must return before the Evil Demon's Moon. Additionally, there are challenges with the Golden Dragon and food supplies: while a more aggressive recruitment policy could attract more people, it would also multiply costs. The previous plan offered better value, but now it has a clear objective. Every detail of its implementation demands careful consideration.
"But what about your second point... how should we proceed?" "First, we need to release the news and evacuate the captured civilians back to the capital. That way, Tifekko will have a general idea of the battle's progress—something futile, he probably won't try again." "But our artillery tactics will also be exposed," Iron Axe said with concern.
"Little has been revealed," Roland tapped the table. "Beyond its long-range strike and devastating power, he knows nothing of its mechanism, let alone how to build it." As long as production remains at this level, even if he knew, he couldn't counter it—the overwhelming superiority of firearms over cold weapons, which defies will, tactics, or numbers. "And they'll send him a warning letter." "A warning letter?" "Exactly. I'll announce the attack date in advance, then launch a surprise assault on the capital that day," Prince said, each word precise.
"..." Iron Axe couldn't help but open his mouth wide, and it took him a moment to compose himself before he stood solemnly and bowed, declaring, "I swear to complete any command you give me!" "Relax," Roland said with a smile, "I didn't intend for you to meet your end." "This plan doesn't require the First Army's involvement—it's to be executed by the Witch." How could Tefiko be made wary of the Western Frontier? He surmised that nothing would shock them more than a direct strike on the royal palace. Once Tefiko realized their own safety was at stake, any military campaign would likely be scaled back.
Roland's plan was inspired by postcard flyers dropped from the sky in later generations. Beyond distributing these flyers, he also intended to deliver two aerial bombs to Tifeiko. The so-called raid was a strike from the air, with a slim chance of killing the new king outright. Yet, as long as it served as a deterrent, it would count as a successful operation.
This makes it hard to predict whether the other side will still insist on launching a large-scale offensive.
Roland had come to realize that the dynamics of the power struggle had shifted. Unlike his initial days as a newcomer when he had to hide his true self, he now needed to play his cards right. It was time to step onto the political stage of Graycastle, revealing his true colors and making his presence known to the royal people—not out of vanity, but as a strategic move to assert his territory and influence.
It was pointless to gain a kingdom strewn with corpses and ruins. Through this declaration, he hoped to draw more people to the Western Frontier and rally them around him.
As the sun dipped below the mountains, Roland pushed open the office window. The evening breeze now carried a coolness that had replaced its earlier heat.
Autumn has come.