TGS - Chapter 165
Chapter 165: Going on the Offensive
The next day, the two of them spoke with Rhea again about the general content of the narrative epic, tentatively settling some related matters.
Afterward, they hurried back to Digebia City without delay.
The Sanur Tribe had temporarily retreated, but they were not without strength in reserve. The prince who had withdrawn to the highland steppes, and the tribes that could potentially rally around him, were all future threats.
After being beaten so soundly, most foreign enemies would choose to lie low and recuperate, waiting until they had amassed enough strength to attack again.
But the Sanur Tribe was always an exception.
They lived in the barren wastelands, where food and warmth became a problem during difficult times. They relied on plundering other nations for many of their supplies, be it Solancia or other small kingdoms. It wasn't so much a strategy of "sustaining war with war" as it was a necessity for survival.
Against such an enemy, they could stage a comeback at any time unless they were either completely annihilated or beaten so thoroughly that they would never dare to try again.
A surprise attack in the near future would be one thing, but if the Sanur were to resurface during the war with Kasnie, Solancia would be truly stretched thin and unable to cope.
Furthermore, military funding was a major issue. The war with Kasnie would inevitably require a constant supply of provisions, and one of the most heavily consumed resources was warhorses. If they could seize spoils from the Sanur, this problem—while not entirely solved—would be largely alleviated.
However, if they wanted to go on the offensive...
It would be very difficult.
The Sanur tribes were nomadic, following the water and grass along largely fixed routes for generations. Whenever they suffered a setback during a raid, they would retreat deeper into the wastelands.
From ancient times to the present, Solancia's army had repelled the Sanur's raids countless times, but not once had they managed to pursue them into the wastelands and defeat them on their own territory.
For one, there were no cities to attack. And while it was known that the Sanur had migration routes, the exact paths were typically known only to the chieftains' families and the witch doctors who served as their priests.
Finding any trace of their retreat in the boundless wastelands was nearly impossible.
Furthermore, the wastelands were at a higher altitude, with a climate vastly different from the fertile agricultural regions. The troops permanently stationed at the border could adapt, but it was not so easy for soldiers dispatched from the interior.
The Digebia garrison had already suffered heavy losses. Even at their previous strength, annihilating the Sanur would have been difficult.
Caught between advancing and retreating, Alyuin and her generals deliberated for several days before finally making a decision: they would fight.
Within Digebia City.
"Ashino knows the routes," Alyuin said nonchalantly, feeding her golden eagle. "Among the prisoners we captured alive, there are a few from other tribes who know something of their respective paths."
Ashino was the daughter of the Sanur King. She had been raised since childhood as a suitable sacrifice and was often casually threatened by her father that he would use her as emergency rations.
But just as the common tribespeople paid Ashino no mind, the Sanur King and the tribal witch doctors never cared if she was present when they discussed their routes.
Ashino had managed to secretly learn the Solancian language from her mother, a testament to her remarkable intelligence.
From their conversations, she had learned how to find the correct routes. Upon hearing of the Princess's intention to attack the Sanur, she had eagerly—one might even say impatiently—volunteered to be their guide.
"My knowledge of the routes is in no way inferior to that of Hamonge's sons."
So Ashino had guaranteed.
No one desired the destruction of the Sanur more than Ashino. And the captured prisoners, though their knowledge was limited, could also serve as a reference.
Knowing where and how to strike, Alyuin now had a plan.
Lotus knew this was the best course of action, but she couldn't help but worry.
She could not accompany Alyuin on her expedition into the wastelands.
The vast God Power Field covering Solancia's territory not only repelled foreign deities but also prevented the Solancian pantheon from leaving easily. It was a two-way barrier.
"Your wound..."
Lotus said softly, her fingertips hovering over Alyuin's shoulder.
The Princess swung her arm up and down, her movements fluid. The minor wound had clearly healed long ago.
Alyuin understood Lotus's concern. "The Sanur are at their weakest right now. I'm going to ensure they can never become a threat again. Nothing will happen to me."
Lotus's touch turned into a merciless poke right on the old wound. Alyuin didn't flinch. "It's really healed."
"That's not what I mean," Lotus said with a frown. "No matter how confident you are, you must not underestimate your enemy. The Sanur are ferocious, just like their gods. Don't forget how you got that wound. And those gods lingering beyond our borders—"
As she spoke, Lotus glanced at the amulet hanging on the Princess's chest. The blue chalcedony bead, capable of blocking a fatal blow, was nestled quietly within it, offering at least some reassurance.
Alyuin listened with a smile.
Lotus was not a talkative person. Aside from necessary explanations, she only spoke at such length when she was worried about her.
Only after Lotus had finished did the Princess smile. "Even if the other two pantheons wanted to do something, they lack the power. At most, they can only interfere with the war by influencing people's decisions. Otherwise, why would they feel safe sending their armies into Solancia while they themselves watch from outside the barrier?"
The Kasnie army, the Sanur tribes—they had all been inside Solancia's borders, yet the foreign gods showed no concern. Even now, they hadn't broken the barrier to confront the Solancian pantheon.
This showed that on the battlefield of mortals, the role of the gods was limited. At the very least, they couldn't make a weak side strong or turn a hopeless disadvantage into a stunning victory.
Lotus knew this, yet she couldn't help but think of Perseus.
Would this Goddess of the Mind intervene?
Alyuin followed this line of thought for a moment, her expression suddenly turning subtle.
"If I'm right, the Kasnie pantheon might actually be pleased to see the Sanur fall."
Lotus looked up.
Alyuin patted the golden eagle's wings, the rhythm matching the way she usually tapped the armrest of her chair when deep in thought.
"You said this is a war that will determine the survival of civilizations."
"In the possible trajectories of destiny, if the Sanur were to be annihilated now, at whose hands would it be?"
"Solancia, or Kasnie?"
There are no eternal allies, nor eternal enemies.
The Sanur, unified with Kasnie's help. The Sanur, with foreign envoys in their army. The Sanur, goaded into being the first to raid the border.
Had Kasnie schemed for so many years just to prop up a powerful ally and then share the spoils of victory?
They looked at each other, seeing the clear understanding in one another's eyes.
Perhaps there were secret plots, or perhaps the Princess was simply overthinking. Regardless, Solancia and the Sanur could never be on the same side.
All they could do was ensure they preserved enough strength, maximized their use of the Sanur's resources, and prevented Kasnie from being the fisherman who profits from the conflict.
After a day of preparations, Alyuin led her elite cavalry, along with Ashino and a few prisoners of war, across the border.
Lotus had a few water spirits from her divine kingdom follow them. These mythical creatures possessed little divine power and might not be of much use, but at the very least, they could deliver messages if needed.
The members of the Solancian pantheon would be more than willing to help the Princess—for now, because of Lotus, but also because of the Princess's own value as the leader of humanity.
In the future, however, their views would fundamentally change.
She was not just an influential human, but possibly a major god awaiting her awakening.
The water spirits concealed the fluctuations of their divine power and followed behind the army. Lotus remained within the borders, letting out a silent sigh. She planned to find the other major gods.
During this time, the major gods had been scattered, but they were all keeping a close watch on the movements of the foreign pantheons.
If the barrier were broken, they would be the first to confront the enemy gods.
Lotus had stayed in Digebia for the Princess. Now that Alyuin had taken the initiative to leave the country and attack the Sanur, it was time for Lotus to resume her position as a major god and monitor the movements of the foreign deities.
She would find Anmila first.
Digebia was a center of Anmila's worship. The priests there had suffered heavy casualties, and Lotus wondered if this had affected the Moon Goddess in any additional way.
Sensing the Moon Goddess's divine power, Lotus opened her eyes, having roughly determined her location.
Anmila and Suriel were both in Surinia, the city of the Sun God where the God-Concubine reigned.
In southern Solancia, the sea was rough, with high winds and surging waves.
The wind blew inland, carrying the ferocious power it had gathered over the sea. The coast where Bananna City was located should have borne the brunt of the storm, but the actual impact was minimal.
This, in turn, disappointed Taz.
If a great storm had broken out, it would have been a major disadvantage for the besieging Kasnie army. But unfortunately, the hoped-for tempest never arrived. The army still surrounded the city, like a circle of ravens around the God of Death.
Bananna City had been under siege for nearly two months.
Reinforcements from other coastal cities had attempted to break the siege, but they were annihilated by the Kasnie army before they could provide any real aid.
The Kasnie forces seemed to have no fear of reinforcements; it was as if they were hoping more Solancian troops would come to the rescue.
They wanted to force Bananna's surrender while also using the city as bait to lure in reinforcements and wear down Solancia's coastal forces.
This way, once Bananna fell, they could drive deep into the interior. The cities along their path would be easy to overcome, requiring little attention aside from the more strategically important ones.
Kasnie would not encounter significant resistance again until they reached the city of the Sun God, the heart of the south.
But Taz couldn't afford to worry about all that.
After receiving news of the conflict with the Sanur Tribe on the northwestern border, Taz knew he couldn't expect reinforcements from the royal city anytime soon.
Besides, in Alyuin's eyes, he and Kasnie were likely one and the same: enemies.
Romuer still held out hope of defending the city, but Taz was not so optimistic.
Bananna was doomed to fall. Rather than wait here until all their men and supplies were gone, it was better to take his elite troops and look for an opportunity to break out.
Taz did not know.
That when he made this decision, the opportunity Kasnie had been waiting for had arrived.
Beyond the barrier, the Goddess of the Mind gazed quietly at the land, a smile etched onto her face.
"Perseus." The Wolf God floated behind her, his gaze dark. "What exactly is your pantheon hiding? You owe us an explanation."
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