Chapter 321: Express!!!

Brambleford Secret Intelligence Bureau.

As soon as news arrived from Preston, Richard rushed to the Prince’s Castle.

While Prince Simon had been busy reforming Brambleford these past couple of months, the situation in Preston had taken a dramatic turn for the worse. The number of people rallying under the so-called ’King’ had grown rapidly, and Prince Augustus’s forces were losing ground fast.

But that wasn’t the biggest concern.

Worse yet, the reaver general Clinton Bryce had led sixty thousand cavalry southward in two separate units, seemingly seizing the opportunity to strike. They were now acting as the vanguard of the nomadic invasion targeting Preston.

"What? Clinton is already heading south?" Simon’s expression turned grim upon hearing the news.

Richard nodded. "There’s no doubt about it."

"Augustus, you damn fool!" Simon slammed the table. Plans always lagged behind changes, especially when you had a pig-headed ally who wrecked everything. He’d sensed this might happen the moment the rebellion broke out in Preston, but this was still far too soon.

And the letter he had sent earlier to warn Prince Augustus? No reply. It had probably been tossed aside.

That man had always been stubborn and arrogant, refusing to listen to advice. Even with a crisis staring him in the face, he was still charging forward blindly.

---

"What should we do now, My Lord? Preston is only two hundred kilometers from West Ham. Most of Augustus’s army is tied up dealing with the rebellion. That means Preston City is practically defenseless. If the reaver cavalry takes it, the gate to our territory will be wide open!" Richard warned.

Simon thought for a moment. "We can’t let the Mongols bring the war to our land. Go call Benjamin and the other generals here."

"Yes, My Lord."

---

The reforms had kept Simon busy for nearly two months. It was now late July. He had originally planned to launch a northern campaign against the reavers in October, but now that plan was shattered. He had lost three precious months of preparation.

So far, his army had only been equipped with ten thousand flintlocks. The Squad Divincox Cavalry and Brambleford cavalry combined numbered a little over ten thousand. And they had only 300 war wagons.

And that was after pouring nearly all available funds into military spending.

---

Richard soon returned with Benjamin and the other military commanders. On the way over, he had already explained the situation.

"My Lord," Benjamin said firmly. "We must deploy the entire army to Preston and be ready to support at any time. If we allow reaver cavalry into Brambleford territory, the damage will be unimaginable."

He paused and continued. "But there’s one good thing: right now, Preston has no food. The people are starving. It’s essentially a scorched earth zone. Clinton will need to secure Preston City before he can push toward Augustus’s domain."

"This Augustus... How is he even managing his territory?" Lancelot cursed.

Simon let out a long sigh. "It’s not the wolves that scare me. It’s the pigs on my own side."

---

As the group discussed next steps, Ysabeau suddenly burst into the room. "My Lord, an urgent report from Eldora has arrived, delivered at full gallop!"

Simon and Benjamin exchanged a glance, then quickly stepped outside. A courier stood at the gate, holding a sealed letter.

Simon tore it open and read quickly. "The emperor is ordering me to send troops to help Prince Augustus put down the rebellion and jointly resist the advancing reaver cavalry."

"What?! When we were defending Dunmere, Prince Augustus didn’t lift a finger! And now we’re supposed to help him?" Lancelot shouted angrily. "His Majesty is playing favorites again!"

Benjamin frowned. He too felt this was unfair. Back when the reavers first invaded, Simon had been the weakest among the vassal princes, yet the entire burden had fallen on his shoulders.

But still, this wasn’t the time to argue.

Even if it felt like a slap in the face, they couldn’t just ignore the situation. If Preston fell, Brambleford would be surrounded.

---

"We’ll go to Preston regardless of the imperial edict," Simon said calmly. "Now that it’s here, we just have a legitimate excuse. Besides, the Imperial Guards and Prince Gerad’s army have already begun moving toward Preston."

"They’ve already deployed?" Benjamin and the others breathed a sigh of relief. At least this time, they wouldn’t be fighting alone.

In truth, Simon had long been hoping for a chance to move into Preston.

This chaos was a crisis, but also a massive opportunity.

Back during the Three Kingdoms era, the king had risen to power by absorbing the 300,000 refugees from Brambleford. That massive population boost gave him his edge.

Baldwin had sent envoys to Preston to invite refugees into Brambleford, but with poor results. People were afraid to travel far, especially to unfamiliar places.

Worse, disaster zones often gave rise to human traffickers and scammers. The refugees didn’t trust anyone easily.

But if Brambleford’s army marched into Preston? That was a different story. The people would trust soldiers more than strangers.

---

Recently, Simon had been reading The Prince. It said a good ruler must have the strength of a lion and the cunning of a fox.

Now, with chaos at the borders, he had no choice but to play dirty.

If he was going to send his army to help, he’d better earn something in return. He wouldn’t come back unless he brought back at least 340,000 refugees to repopulate his lands.

Having made his decision, Simon gave his orders.

Benjamin was to lead 10.000 cavalry, 2000 crossbowmen, 3000 spearmen, 5000 sword and shield infantry, 10.000 flintlock soldiers, and 300 war wagons

The remaining troops would defend each city.

Meanwhile, Baldwin was ordered to open all civilian fortresses and strongholds. If the reavers entered Brambleford, the people were to retreat into the fortresses and minimize casualties.

As always, logistics were the hardest part of any campaign.

"Before the troops march, the grain must march first."

Thankfully, last year Simon had ordered every province to stockpile military rations. The stores in Prince Augustus’s domain should be enough to support this expedition.

Compared to before, logistics were smoother, at least for now.

But once they left for Preston, it would be tough again. Especially since Benjamin was also bringing 30 cannons, which required carts and manpower to move.

Though the news had come quickly, war preparations couldn’t be rushed.

It took ten days to gather ammunition, weapons, and supplies.

Then Benjamin led his thirty-thousand-strong force toward Preston.

This time, Simon wouldn’t be joining the army himself. Everyone had a role to play now.

He would oversee the territory and manage the big picture.

The soldiers would fight the battles.

The officials would handle support.

---

At the gates of the Brambleford military camp, Simon watched the army depart with a quiet sense of worry.

The troops had only been using firearms for three to four months. Would they hold up in real battle?

To be cautious, he had made sure only a third of the force were musket troops.

But this was a step they had to take. Only on the battlefield could they truly grow and gain experience.

Of course, he’d given Benjamin one crucial order: gather the refugees.