The flickering candlelight cast distorted shadows on the canvas of the military tent, like wandering ghosts on the battlefield.
Gabella's commander, Woven Ruiz, sat at a wooden table, his brush moving laboriously across the parchment. His right hand was wrapped in a blood-soaked bandage. During the hasty retreat after the defeat, Ruiz had fallen from his horse, fracturing his right arm and scraping off a large patch of skin from his hand, so each stroke of the brush brought excruciating pain.
But the physical pain was nothing compared to the grief in his heart.
The ink in the ink bottle had solidified, and he had to dissolve it with water, which reminded him of the dried bloodstains on Ursula Plain, which would eventually be washed away by the rain, just like the lives of his soldiers.
The coughs of the soldiers on watch came from outside the tent, and the faint neighing of warhorses could be heard in the distance. Woven put down his pen and looked at the family crest hanging in the tent—a silver griffin with outstretched wings against a deep blue background, ready to take flight.
But now this symbol of glory seems like the greatest irony for him.
In the power struggle for the crown between the current Emperor Antonio and his brother Phoenix, the Ruiz family once favored the eldest prince, Felix Griffin.
But after that somewhat unpredictable palace rebellion, the Ruiz family quickly concluded that everything had settled down, that Antonio Griffin would become the supreme ruler of the Gabella Empire, and that the remnants of Felix's faction would not cause any more trouble.
The Ruiz family quickly pledged their loyalty to Antonio.
Not only Ruiz, but many other families with ambiguous attitudes, who did not tie themselves to Felix, also pledged their loyalty to the new emperor.
However, Antonio Griffin had built his own team in his competition with Felix, especially the so-called " Fire Dragon Legion " —named for its mastery of long-range firearms like the Thunder Hammer —which played a significant role in suppressing Felix's remnants.
This newly emerged army had almost no connection with the old-school imperial nobles such as the Ruiz family, but the emperor favored them greatly and always used them as the main force in suppressing rebellions.
The old nobles of the empire felt a great sense of crisis. The Gabella Empire had a tradition of valuing military merit, and being sidelined in military affairs meant losing a voice in the new power structure.
They must fight hard while their influence is still strong to demonstrate their value to the country, thereby perpetuating and consolidating their power and position.
This is why noble scions like Woven Ruiz enthusiastically participated in this war.
However, the crushing defeat on Ursula Plain dealt them a heavy blow, not only spiritually but also physically. Many of the knights who died were heirs to their families, and many noble families with few offspring may never recover from this setback.
"To His Majesty the Supreme Emperor..." Woven's pen paused, a drop of ink spreading across the parchment like a bloodstain blooming on a battlefield.
Those horrific images resurfaced before his eyes: the roar of war elephants, the shattered banners, the fallen soldiers … Their faces were so clear, as if they were standing in the shadows of the candlelight, watching him.
Woven took a deep breath and continued writing: "I hereby report to you the course of the Battle of Ursula Plain." His handwriting was still strong and powerful, but with a slight tremor.
He had considered covering up the defeat, but he quickly suppressed it with his pride as an Imperial soldier. Woven Ruiz decided to report the truth and bear the blame for the defeat forever.
News of the imperial army's crushing defeat on Ursula Plain reached the capital at dawn.
The messenger's horse collapsed in front of the palace, foaming at the mouth. The messenger scrambled to his feet, ignoring the pain and the dust on his clothes, and demanded an immediate audience with the emperor.
The messenger's request for an audience was denied, but the letters in his hands were urgently delivered to the emperor's study. Antonio Griffin was an early riser and had a habit of reading in the morning.
When the palace attendant on duty unfolded the letter, his hand trembled slightly after a quick glance.
Antonio Griffin seemed to have foreseen something, and sighed softly, "Read it..."
The servant's trembling voice echoed in the study, " Ursula Plain has been defeated."
The emperor closed his eyes, silently leaning back in his chair. There was no bitterness on his face. After a long while, he said, "Summon the cabinet officials."
An hour later, the ministers at the heart of the empire's power center all learned of the defeat, and the vast meeting hall fell silent.
Old Marshal MacDonald gripped the sword at his waist, his knuckles turning white.
He gritted his teeth and said, "How could war elephants appear on Ursula Plain? Do those religious fanatics really believe that divine blessings can overcome physical limitations?"
The war elephants used by the Papacy are officially called Neos jungle elephants. This breed of elephant is large and easy to tame. What is particularly rare is that, after rigorous training, Neos jungle elephants are not as "smart" as other elephant breeds that will desert at the first sign of danger. This characteristic makes Neos jungle elephants a formidable weapon of war. Because their habitat, the Neos jungle, is located near Holy Capital, Neos jungle elephants have become the trump card of the Papacy's armed forces. They are regarded by priests as divine beasts given to them by the Father as loyal servants to defend the true faith.
However, the Neos jungle elephant also has a major weakness: it is particularly prone to acclimatization problems when far from its homeland, and it will fall ill over time with a high mortality rate. This weakness makes the Papacy's army reluctant to deploy them on expeditions. The War Elephant Legion's usual task is to guard the Holy Capital.
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Siegfried frowned and said, "It seems the Vatican has really gone all out this time, betting everything to suppress us."
Antonio remained calm and instructed MacDonald: "Immediately assemble a new army, and make sure the Papacy's forces do not penetrate deep into the Empire. Also, send out the Fire Dragon Legion."
MacDonald was briefly taken aback, but quickly nodded in agreement.
He asked hesitantly, "Should the outcome of this battle be kept secret?"
Antonio thought for a few seconds and said, "I believe in the resilience of our people. Let's tell the truth and let all Gabella people face the enemy with one heart."
News of the defeat spread like wildfire, and by the afternoon, almost everyone in the capital knew what had happened on Ursula Plain.
In the streets and taverns, people were talking about it, filled with righteous indignation, and the flames of anger burned in every Gabella.
After the break with the Vatican, many people of deeper faith felt a strange sense of apology or fear towards the Vatican, but this has now largely dissipated.
People spontaneously organized rallies and marches, vowing to fight to the end against these charlatans of the Vatican, and even many clergy were forced to distance themselves from the Vatican.