Chapter 323: A Third Front

The port city of Jaslo was abuzz. Despite the war, the city had been left in a state of relative calm. Food didn’t go scarce easily, and people were able to trade for any lost, and the actual fighting was far enough away, allowing people to sleep easily.

Marquess Roch Marszalek, the same man who choked Horace, sat peacefully in his office. Despite his title, his family’s main base of power was Jaslo, with them essentially usurping the role of Mayor. Everything about the day was normal, and Roch looked at his clock. Seeing the time, he put his pen down and got up, grabbed his coat and left.

"Marquess." Outside his office, a woman walked alongside him as they both made their way outside quickly. "The shipment has yet to arrive," she said in a nervous voice. Roch frowned but said nothing.

Getting into his carriage, he looked out at the streets, at the people who happily went about their lives. "You wouldn’t even know we are at war when looking at them," Roch said with a strange tone as he watched. The people looked back at his carriage and made sure to bow as it passed before carrying on with their duties.

"My Lord. This shipment is important. If it doesn’t arrive, then we have to slow down manufacturing." Roch rolled his eye’s already understanding.

"I know. It’s why I’m heading to the port. Hopefully, the ship has already arrived, and it’s a communication problem."

"The Gotic’s are at war. Is there a chance they purposefully did it?" The woman asked, making Roch fall into thought. Whilst it was a possibility, he shook his head.

"They have been at war before and still made the deliveries. They wouldn’t risk alienating me. I give them too much money." Despite his words, the feeling in his gut didn’t go away, and the nervous tapping of his finger gave him away. The woman looked at Roch and nodded.

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On the Tears of Gaia, a fleet of lines behind two that docked next to each other. Small planks were laid across both decks, creating a path, and Sasha strode across confidently. The Gotic merchants looked at her with slight confusion, wondering how a woman was leading such a large fleet.

Placing her hand on her chest, she saluted the men as the merchants pulled out a small table and some barrels to sit on. "I am Admiral Sasha Godwin. A pleasure." Her smile was infectious as one merchant came forward.

Pointing to one of the barrels, Sasha took her seat. "Euric. A pleasure." Sasha nodded and looked at the man. Her smile quickly vanished and was replaced by a stern look.

"I’ll be blunt. The Empire currently has an interest in the port city of Jaslo. We have no desire to hurt or hinder the good people of the Gotic Kingdom. It is my understanding you have business there. Am I correct?"

Euric looked at her with cold eyes. "You’re correct. Don’t tell me the Empire wishes to control how the Gotics trade."

"Of course not." With a thin smile, Sasha said, "But if you were to go to Jaslo, the Empire can’t promise your safety. After all, our Emperor has decreed that the city will fall. I am here to make sure that happens. We do not want to make enemies of the Gotic’s, but if you interfere, no one can blame us."

"Are you threatening me, girl?" Euric spoke through gritted teeth, his fist curling under the table. He quickly calmed down, remembering the special rule of the Tears of Gaia. Even the Empire wouldn’t dare spill blood on the holy water.

"It’s not a threat," Sasha said calmly and leaned in. Her eyes hardened, and she smiled arrogantly. "It’s the truth. You step onto Jaslo, and we will not treat you like diplomats of the Gotic Kingdom, but enemies of the Empire. Do you dare become its enemy?"

Euric gritted his teeth and looked at her. "You have no right." he had been trained to keep his emotions in check as a merchant, but there was no point. The single ship connected to his was enough to wipe out his crew. If the rest joined in, they wouldn’t even find a body. Holding onto the belief that the Empire wouldn’t kill over the holy water was his only saving grace.

"Right?" Sasha said in confusion, "Of course I do. The Empire is destined to have everything under its banner. The Emperor has decreed this. You are just a pebble in the way."

"That arrogant bastard. He this..." Sasha slammed her fist into the table.

"You can’t talk about him that way." She quickly calmed down. "I’m offering you a way out—a way to keep your lives. Take it. Are you going to die because of... pride? That is arrogance."

"You treat us like we are already under the Emperor’s banner. A tyrannical state. Isn’t this what Pradora did during the years of Darkness?" Euric spat on the wooden deck, "I am a man of the Gotic Kingdom. Not your Empire."

"Let me phrase it in a way a merchant would understand. Leave and have a chance to make more money in the future. Stay and risk the chance of death. I know merchants gamble, but this is a stupid one." Euric clenched his fists at her condescending tone but remained silent. Sasha sighed and got up. "If that’s the way you want it."

Walking over the plank back to her ship, she went to the back of it and raised a red flag. One of the ships started moving forward and rapidly approached the Gothic ship. Euric panicked as his crew tried to lower the sails and lift the anchor. But it was too late. The crew stumbled as the ship rammed directly into its side, creating a large hole.

Sasha watched with cold eyes and sighed. "It’s a sin to spill blood here. But I can sink you." She quietly muttered to herself before lowering her own sail. The fleet quickly followed behind as one stayed behind to help pull out the other ship that rammed the Gotic ship.

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Roch stood on the port for what felt like hours. After waiting for so long, he finally saw in the distance the shadows of a few ships and breathed a sigh of relief. He had expected some delay in the shipment, but it was too long.

Waiting patiently, the smile on his lips grew before shrinking.’There are too many of them.’After years of trading, he knew how many ships should have come. Whilst one extra wasn’t strange, having another four was.

Roch moved to the end of the port and looked down at a man who was fishing. "Do you have a telescope?" The man looked down and went wide-eyed.

"Forgive me My lord..." Before he could finish talking, Roch moved on. Running across the port, he asked multiple people until he found a captain who was prepared to leave. Running back to his original place, he looked at the ships through the scope.

In an instant, his heart sank. Seeing the black flag arrogantly waving in the wind, he didn’t need to think who the ships could belong to. "SOUND THE BELLS! THE EMPIRE IS HERE! SOUND THE BELLS!"

Looking back at the ships, a momentary hope of them being merchant ships was crushed, seeing the Godwin banner alongside the Imperial flag. Whilst the Godwins did having trading ships it was mainly warships. "SOUND THE FUCKING BELLS!" Roch shouted in anger and panic as he looked at the approaching fleet. Although it was small, the main fighting force of his city had been sent to support Snwoid.

The bells soon tolled around the city as the people wondered what was happening. Nothing was explained, and soon erupted into a panic. Those on the port noticed what was happening, and as word spread that the Empire was invading the city, people became more scared. Unlike the South, the North’s perspective of the Empire was a place that was ruled by a demon whom the church excommunicated.

A place geared for nothing but slaughter and war. Evil itself. With news of the Empire coming, the panic turned into a full-blown stampede as people trampled over one another to try and get to their homes and hide. Those with money quickly packed what valuables they had and made a break for the city, not wishing to be caught up in the battle that would soon come.

Roch watched with a heavy heart as the few soldiers left in the city came to the port and readied themselves to defend it.