The southernmost part of the Catapa region.
Kono Valley.
A troop of several hundred people is stationed here, ready to go.
They are armed with knives, guns and other weapons, wear light leather armor, and wear the winged sun holy emblem common in the Thracian Kingdom on their chests.
"Captain, do we still want to stay here?"
"Yes, this is the order left by Count Fabric before he went south. The northern empire is a threat to the Kingdom of Thracia. We must not let them take the opportunity to seize the land."
The man called "Captain" was wearing fine iron armor, holding a polished silver sword, and said firmly.
His name is Piotr McGrath, he is the captain of this scout force and an extraordinary warrior.
It's a pity that he is still young and has not experienced the sun sacrificial ceremony.
This is the heritage left by Holy Fadelan. With his strength, he is enough to become the general of a certain northern principality in Anzeta.
That Fabric was the divine count who guarded the northernmost part of the Kingdom of Thracia. As the war surrounding the battle for the Holy City became more intense, he also received orders to rush to the south, leaving only a few reliable trusted troops. .
"But."
The vice-captain's tone was hesitant.
"According to the contract signed by the kingdom, this place is close to the border area. We will soon set foot on the territory of that empire. It won't cause any conflict, right?"
"No."
Piotr shook his head and sharpened his sword, and said contemptuously: "Those are just a group of barbarians from a remote place."
"They have never admired the glory of the once sacred Fadlan, and they dare to call themselves empire. It is really ridiculous."
"Indeed."
The adjutant nodded with deep understanding.
That is the Holy Empire.
Whether they are Thracians, Cassanders, or Seleucids, they all miss the past glory of Fadland and believe that they are the true successors of the empire.
This is the pride that only belongs to the Fadelans. After all, in the past hundred years, the holy Fadelans have dominated the entire continent of Fianso. Whether it is dwarves, elves, giants or those evil spirits, they all crouch under the empire's light. .
When thinking of the centuries-old glory of Holy Fadland, even the poorest and most destitute people will puff up their chests with pride.
Piotr picked up the polished sword and let it shine in the sun.
"What's more, they have only been in Catpa for more than a month, and I'm afraid they won't be able to gain a foothold here."
"Haha, this is not a barren Anzeta. Terrible monsters and warcraft can be seen everywhere. It is not that simple for them to build a city here."
The adjutant was still a little worried: "But the recent commotion in the north has been quite noisy."
"Boom, boom"
A heavy muffled sound came from the north.
The ground was shaking, and even the horses in the army neighed in terror.
Piotr also frowned and turned to look north: "Could this be..."
"How is that possible?"
He muttered to himself, looking shocked.
Hundreds of flying dragons were seen waving their wings in a chaotic manner, making noisy roars. Their wings collided in the air and flew from a distance like dark clouds.
On the ground, dozens of earth dragon beasts appeared on the distant horizon like moving hills. They had cannons on their sides and hobgoblin cavalry on their backs.
"Long live the Empire!"
"Long live His Majesty Cassius!"
The cavalry and infantrymen from the Imperial Advance Legion roared loudly, their voices filling the sky.
Another loud shout came from the battle formation, like thunder.
"The Arrogant Thracian"
"You have crossed the line!" "Now, this is the territory of the Ember Empire, the land of the great Emperor Cassius!"
"If you dare to go one step further north, you are violating the empire's territory and will be mercilessly attacked by the imperial army!"
Jesse rode on the back of the largest earth dragon beast, turned on the magic loudspeaker specially provided by the empire, and let his words echo in the wasteland.
"It's obviously a remote wilderness, how could such an army appear?"
Piotr looked at the imperial advance army in the distance with a look of disbelief on his face - this "empire" from the north was far more powerful than he expected.
With the strength and might displayed by this army, I am afraid that only the Kingdom's Divine Legion, Arcane Legion, and Iron Colossus Legion can defeat it.
And ordinary troops like them have almost no chance of victory.
Judging from Piot's past experience, the troops under Anzetta's northern nobles were simply vulnerable. There were only a few professionals in a thousand-man army.
To deal with them, there is no need to dispatch troops of this level.
"Wait."
Piotr suddenly realized something, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
He didn't care just now and sent people to the north to freely investigate intelligence. They haven't come back yet. It can't be——
"Captain, save me!"
A crying voice came.
Sure enough, the missing soldier appeared in the imperial military formation, bound hand and foot by the hobgoblin infantry, and tied to the front.
And Jesse spoke again.
"If anyone dares to step into the territory of the empire without permission——"
The hobgoblin paused, slowly raised the delicate pistol, and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
"Bang!"
With a gunshot, the soldier fell to the ground and made no sound again.
"Wait, let's talk about it again-"
Piotr's pupils shrank sharply, his face full of disbelief, and his outstretched hand stayed in mid-air.
Did the hobgoblin really kill him?
How dare he kill a Thracian soldier in public!
This is nothing short of public humiliation!
Glancing coldly at the soldier who fell to the ground, Jesse continued: "This is his fate!"
"Did you hear it clearly?"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The hobgoblin Earl fired his gun into the sky several times in a row, but the surroundings were already silent.
The vice-captain whispered: "Captain, what should we do?"
Piotr looked at the menacing Imperial Legion from the north and was silent for a long time. Then he gritted his teeth and ordered: "Go, leave here immediately! Don't cause unnecessary casualties."
"Don't go to the border areas anymore. The current Thracian Kingdom cannot afford to anger such an empire."
"Let's go!"
The panicked Thracian soldiers marched south with their horses and baggage, almost fleeing and retreating.
Jesse stood on the back of the earth dragon beast, looking at the retreating army with an expressionless face, his eyes narrowed slightly.
"The Catpa area is the primary stronghold for the empire's future march south."
"We must ensure absolute control over it."
One of the important reasons why the empire asked for Katpa was that it could break through the blockade of the Thracian Kingdom - to the southwest it could lead to the Free Trade Confederation in the Silver Moon Bay area, and to the east it could lead to the mountain kingdom of the dwarves.
When the Burning Ember Empire integrates the power of Anzeta Great Wilderness, it will truly enter the mainland through Katpa and become an important force in the grand chess game of Fianso. (End of chapter)