Chapter 853: Dograth Part 1

"Veeza solved the feeding problem with the war and ensured the loyalty of her followers by offering them a new home. The undead from Jiera are desperate enough to keep spawning and brainwash their own infants to keep the war going.

"So far, there's never been such a high population of undead. They are so egotistical that they can barely unite under the banner of the undead Courts, let alone work together in an army.

If not for Veeza, the battle would have lasted only the time for the first sun to rise." Leegaain said.

Undead could move and fight freely only during the night, but during those few hours they were almost unstoppable and no matter if wound or maimed would regain their full strength just by eating, whereas Milea's men needed to rest and recover after each battle.

"You are a Guardian and the protector of the Empire at that. Why do you still refuse to help me? All of my plans about the academies, all the preparations to colonize Jiera, heck, even my plans to find a companion to ease my loneliness have been delayed." Milea asked.

"That's a common misconception among humans. Guardians aren't protectors of any race, only of the balance. Otherwise we should protect the humans from the undead, the beasts from the humans, and the monsters from the beasts." The Father of all Dragons replied.

"Why do you think Tyris didn't intervene despite the fact that Laruel falls within her area of influence? Why do you think I apparently sit idly while your people get slaughtered?

"Because whether Laruel fell or survived, whether Veeza triumphs or not, it would just tip the balance, not break it. Just like carnivores cannot outnumber herbivores too much without starving, the same stands between living and undead.

"Also, if we intervened, neither the rulers of the countries nor their subjects would learn their lesson. They would just commit any atrocity that comes to their mind that grants them short term advantages, thinking that if something goes wrong, we Guardians will fix things for them."

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"I get it, but this crisis happened because of Jiera, not us. For once we're innocent." Milea replied.

"I agree, but look at things from my point of view. Now the entirety of Mogar knows about Jiera's downfall and will strive not to make the same mistake. Laruel's events allowed the three great Countries to work side by side for the first time in centuries.

"Veeza's military success has demonstrated to all of you the danger that a mass migration poses. In your story, you are the hero who defends innocent people, but in the undead's eyes, it's Veeza the one gallantly fighting to give them a home and a future while you're the bad guy who wants to exterminate them just because of who they are.

"If you talked with any of the undead, they would tell you that they are innocent as well and that they just want to find a new place for themselves. Both of you are right, both of you have the right to live, yet someone has to die." Leegaain said.

"Are you saying that I should request a truce? Give them some lands?" Milea's voice was full of sarcasm.

"By the Great Mother, no. Veeza is batshit crazy, negotiating is impossible. Also, any form of compromise would require for you to give humans to the undead as cattle and for the undead to keep their numbers to a controlled amount.

"A sacrifice that I doubt neither of the two parties is willing to make for peace, yet they'll gladly do it for war. After all, isn't your army thinning their numbers? Aren't the undead already capturing life forms to sustain their existence?"

"Then what should I do?" She asked.

"Win, and make it quick. Only by defeating Veeza you'll prove to the other Liches that are watching at the war, waiting to make their move, that there's no victory in war, only destruction."

"How am I supposed to do that? I can fight her, I can beat her, but I can't kill her!" Milea slammed her fists again, making the table collapse under the weight of her hit.

"That's where I come into play. I will not help you directly, but I will share with you my strategies." Leegaain replied.

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"Why now? This damn war has been going on for months."

"Because it gave you and your generals lots of experience in dealing with the undead. It showed you where the weak points of your domestic defenses are, and most importantly, it has nipped in the bud the divide that was opening between mages and normal citizens of the Empire.

"It forced them to put aside their differences and fight together. Also, it made you and your aids better rulers. Sooner or later, once you'll step down from the throne, your legacy will allow the Empire to prosper, just like the Kingdom did.

"Once Salaark steps down, instead, the Blood Desert will fall into chaos. They are too reliant on her, forcing their leader to hold a whole country on her shoulders." Leegaain explained.

Milea could understand his point of view and how precious those lessons were. Yet she wasn't an immortal. In her eyes, the price that the present had to pay to ensure the people of the Garlen continent a better future was enormous.

"Okay, oh great one. Enlighten me."

***

A few days later, Milea was done with the preparations and was ready to execute Leegaain's plan.

Everything had gone smoothly because due to the war, both the army and the Magic Council of the Empire had been purged of those who had reached their position only thanks to their family's influence rather than their own individual talent.

War had put all the upper echelons of the Empire to the test, and incompetence couldn't be tolerated when it cost thousands of lives or made the Empire lose dozens of kilometers of fertile land.

The chosen place for the attack was, as usual, the Twin Fortresses of Dograth.

They marked a geographical bottleneck that had prevented the human army from advancing ever since Veeza had personally captured the two strongholds during the first days of war.

Undead were at their weakest during the day, but they still managed to hold their forts thanks to the members of their kin who had no such problems, their living thralls who shared only the perks of undeath, and the people who served the undead because their families were held hostages.

The day Milea put Leegaain's plan into action, the undead controlling the twin cities didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.

The Empire's army attacked Dograth at dawn, trying to capture as many strongholds as they could before sundown. It was a gruesome battle since the castles' walls didn't need many people to defend them.

Not with the full power of the city arrays under the undead's control. Veeza had started the war during winter because the days were short and the nights long, so Milea's men had just a few hours before Veeza's unrelenting army swept them away, forcing them on the defensive.

The frontlines moved back and forth according to the solar cycle. If a fortress wasn't conquered before sundown, all the people that had died on the human's side would have sacrificed themselves for nothing.

The undead generals watched at the unfolding events with a mix of boredom and conceit.

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