Magic_Smithing
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Ch: 65
🕑 Added 2020-11-20 06:17:16 +0000 UTCCristopher’s Point of View:
“General, come back!” I lean over the ramparts and shout at her departing figure. My heart feels like it's about to beat out of my chest. I watch General Pitz walk towards the man who drew in all our siege spells and walked out unscathed. Even though he’s so far away from me, my skills tell me he’s as dangerous as the general.
I bite my lower lip until I taste copper in my mouth. Bringing my hand up to my lip, I see that I'm bleeding. I wipe my hand on my pants and ignore the taste of blood.
Why did she have to leave? We could’ve found a solution together; she has to know she’s vastly unprepared to fight someone like that without her proper gear.
“Sir, what do we do?” I hear the communications mage ask behind me.
I round on them, about to shout, 'I have no idea' when I remember I'm in charge now. Everyone is looking to me to defend the fort while the general distracts that monster.
If the communications mage noticed my frantic look, he’s hiding it well, patiently waiting for my orders.
“Send word to the mage battalions to open fire at Scholl’s front ranks as soon as the general starts fighting. Tell them to keep an eye on the general and be prepared to help her escape if this is an elaborate trap.”
"Sir, if we use siege spells, then most likely some might fall near the general." The communication mage informs me with a worried expression.
I ball my hands into fists at my side. "It can't be helped. We're outnumbered, and we can't limit ourselves to only archery if we’re to win. I’m confident the general wouldn’t let something as slow as a siege spell hit her. Inform our best archers and mage battalions they're to focus solely on Scholl's commanders. Any bastard wearing a feather takes priority. If one of them reaches our walls, we're screwed."
“By your orders,” the communication mage salutes me and starts casting his magic, spreading my plan to the entire fort.
I turn away from the mage and focus on the general as she nears the monster disguised as an old man. Why did she have to leave me in charge? I may have helped her by passing along her orders, but I've never been in charge of this many people before.
“I was sent to watch over you and to pull you back if need be, not let you sacrifice yourself," I mumble under my breath.
After spending months with the general, I should've realized that was never possible. No one can tell her what to do. The men think she's scary and domineering, but I know that she cares deeply for their safety and takes her job as a general seriously.
And now she’s stepped into the wolves’ den just to give us a chance to defend ourselves.
No, I can’t think like that. I’ll make sure not a single Scholl soldier makes it past our walls, so when the general is finished kicking that old man’s feathered ass around the canyon, she can come back here and rest without worry.
I can’t waste my time thinking about the general. I’m sure she’ll win. It’s the eight people spearheading Scholl’s forces I need to focus on. That’s my job, gathering intel on people. The faster I figure out their abilities and stat distribution, the quicker we can counter them.
The general and the man she called Pacore are talking to each other. I can see Scholl is prepared to launch their attacks as soon as their fight begins, just like we are.
I activate Shadowing Observer and merge with the shadows cast by the morning sun. I’ll stay on the move and direct our men that way. I make my way to the far left of the fort’s walls and observe the first of Scholl’s feathered commanders.
I take note of the short woman with light blue hair. She’s wearing a full set of metal armor and is wielding a sword and shield. My skills tell me her highest stat is Strength, probably a close-range fighter. As to not get her information mixed with the others, I mentally label her number one.
Number two is a mage wearing a robe that covers most of his features and is brandishing a staff with a large red magic gem on it. He's possibly a fire mage, or maybe the hex mage the general told us about. His strongest stat is Magic, just like most mages.
I rush along the rampart’s shadows until I get a better view of number three and four.
Three is a bulky man wearing Scholl's military dress with light armor. He has a sword at his side, but it looks more ornamental than practical. He’s probably someone geared towards leading.
The fourth person sporting a feather on his chest is of average height and has two swords at his side. I saw the general eyeballing him while she passed by, and he didn’t look worried. Was it confidence or stupidity?
I only spend a few seconds observing each of them before I move on. As I run across the wall, I send a quick glance over to the general. Both she and her opponent look like they're ready to start fighting at any moment. I need to move quicker.
The fifth individual with a feather is a middle-aged woman with her hair done up in a bun. She’s wearing the same military uniform as number three and has an almost identical sword. Six and seven are a pair of mages dressed similar to each other in grey robs. And eight is another snappily dressed man that looks like he should be leading a military parade rather than standing at the front of an army.
Now that I think I know each of their specialties, I can better…
I feel the world around me shift as signaling horns bellow from Scholl’s army, which our walls return with their own deep melody.
Still hidden in the shadows, I watch the captain responsible for this part of the wall start screaming his orders. Our mages hastily throw up their shields as dozens of fireballs and large rocks are hurled at us. I’m forced to leave my hiding spot to take cover behind the closest shield, less I accidentally take a spell to the face.
The captain only spares me a glance as I materialize out of the shadows before he yells out, “brace!”
I feel my very bones shake as the mage next to me tries to deflect a three-foot boulder coming straight at us!
The rock directly impacts the shield at its center, and I panic when I see fracture lines creep across its surface. The mage shouts out a war cry of defiance and pumps more of his Mana into his spell. The cracks slowly mend themselves together until the boulder starts to harmlessly drop from the shield. The boulder only falls a few feet before it disintegrates into nothing. They’re conjuring boulders instead of wasting their Mana by launching the canyon's rocks.
Our mage battalions start launching their own spells, but they're significantly fewer in number when compared to Scholl’s.
As soon as I have a chance, I rush over to the ramparts' edge and scan the distance for the general. “Please, be ok,” I tell myself.
I spot her in the same general area she met with Scholl's leader, but she's already started their battle. Neither she nor her opponent seems to stop for a moment as they continuously shift their positions, trying to outmaneuver the other. The general is fast, but her opponent never stops advancing.
I wish I could watch her battle and cheer her on, but I need to focus on repelling Scholl.
Scholl’s army is slowly shifting its forces now that the battle has begun, and it's challenging to find the feathered commanders in the chaotic mess. It isn’t until I look at the mass of soldiers as a whole that I notice they’re shifting around the two commanders with them at the center. Our commanders follow my orders and target them, but the two feathered mages are working together to shield their companions from our attacks.
Two commanders and two mages on this side, while the other has a commander, mage, and two close-range fighters. It's hard to see around the wall, but it looks like Scholl's left battalion is focused more on close-range fighters and making its way to our walls, while the right battalion in front of me is more long-range based.
I pull up a mental map to better organize everything.
Three, five, and eight are leaders with skills geared towards leading others.
Two, six, and seven are mages. Leaving one and Four as close-range fighters.
They have their forces divided in a way to complement each other while ours are spread evenly across the walls. Our attacks are hitting Scholl's commanders, but they aren't doing any damage. The general's original plan isn't working; we need to shake things up. I turn towards the nearby commander, “keep the pressure on the feathered individuals with magic but attack their surrounding men with your bowmen."
“I can do that, sir, but we won’t be able to hold out long facing this kind of barrage.” As if to confirm his point, another volley of Scholl’s spells clashes up against our mage’s shields. All our mages look like they’re struggling to keep their spells active.
"Do your best," I tell him. "I need to check on the other side of the fort." I sprint across the ramparts, not having enough time to hide in the shadows.
As I pass over the main gate, I manage to steal another look at the general's battle. They seem to have stopped for a moment. I don't see any injuries on the general, but her opponent looks perfectly fine as well.
I know the general will come through like she always does; I just need to hold out until then.
Reaching the fort's left side, I'm confronted with an entirely different battle than the right flank.
Scholl’s left battalion is dangerously close to our wall. Their archers and warriors are pelting my men with arrows and short spears. The sheer number of projectiles has forced our mages, which should be slinging siege spalls at the enemy, to help defend everyone by erecting their own shields.
I pass by a young man huddled in the corner. I’m about to yell at him to get up and fight when I notice the blood. I couldn’t see the wound with his body slouched over, but I now realize the poor man is dead. Someone must have moved his body, so it's not in the way.
And he isn’t the only one.
A quick glance is all I need to start noticing the dead starting to pile up, and the battle has only just begun.
Down below, I’m able to spot Scholl’s commander in the crowd. In the center of Scholl’s troops is the man I rightfully labeled as a commander. And next to the commander is the mage, making sure our arrows never touch the man leading the battalion. Leading the charge of their forces are the two short-range fighters. The lady with the sword and shield deflects each arrow with her large shield and launches small spells from her sword.
The twin sword-wielding warrior the general was eyeballing is even more eye-catching. He's using his twin swords to hit the arrows coming at him out of the air.
This isn’t working, I think, gritting my teeth. The general wanted us to focus on the feathered commanders, but they're just evading or blocking everything we throw at them with their superior numbers and levels.
I only hesitate for a moment before I find the closest communications mage who's helping by erecting a magic shield.
“What are you doing!?” He yells at me as I pull him behind a nearby tower wall, not realizing who I am.
“Shut up, and prepare to send my orders,” I firmly hold him by the front of his robes.
His eyes widen when he finally notices who I am. “Sir, I’m sorry for…”
“No time for that,” I cut him off. “Send word to each squad that I want them to change their targets.”
“Sir?” The communications mage gives me a complicated look.
“Yes, I know I just sent out orders not too long ago,” I hiss at him. “Send word that I want our best archers to keep firing on the feathered commanders while everyone else is to shift targets to their regular soldiers. We can at least lower their number that way.”
“Sir!” The mage salutes me and starts casting his spell.
There’s a short pause from our ranks as my orders are sent around, but soon more spells and arrows are once again launched at Scholl.
The brief laps in our attack was not enough time for Scholl to properly defend themselves. The feathered commanders have more mobility now that we aren’t targeting them with magic, but in turn, we were able to kill scores of Scholl’s soldiers before they were able to defend themselves.
The constant barrage of attacks lightens as part of Scholl’s forces need to switch to defensive measures. The general told me Scholl is known for their fast attacks and placing their highest leveled people in the front. Usually, you would need to deal with that kind of force with an equally aggressive move, but we can't with our numbers.
As long as we can hold their strongest warriors at bay and whittle away their forces, we might stand a chance.
Almost immediately, our change in strategy bears fruit. A few spells do land near the general, but she easily dodges them. We manage to deal a significant blow to Scholl's forces for the first time and push them back a little.
We continue to exchange spells, and our archers manage to keep Scholl's feathered commanders at bay barely, but it's plain to see that they're quickly adjusting to our new strategy and are regaining their foothold against our walls.
We might need to change our strategy again to keep them on their…
*Bang**Bang**Bang*
Three rapid explosions shake the ramparts.
That came from the main gate!
“Don’t let them breach the gate!” I hear multiple people shout in a panic.
Rushing to the front gate, I see a few mages hastily erecting magic shields as Scholl’s right battalion has shifted their strikes solely on the main gate. To my left, I also see the School's left battalion subtly shifting their positions, inching their way over in this direction as well.
Glancing at my feet, I see the masonry under my boots has started to separate and crack.
If they breach the gate, we won't be able to keep them from taking the fort, and the general will be surrounded from all sides.
I want to drag more of our mages over here, but Scholl is still peppering the other sections of our walls with spells and projectiles. If I shore up the gate, they'll pick apart our other forces; if I don't focus on the gate, they'll walk right through it; I don't have an answer.
While I’m freaking out over how to proceed, a familiar noise echoes across the battlefield.
That was the sound of the general shooting one of her specialty arrows! I've only heard the explosive sound of the general firing her bow to the fullest of her ability four times before, but I would never forget that sound.
I rush over to the ramparts edge in time to see the older man the general was fighting, doubling over with a hole in his chest.
“She did it!” I almost cry in relief.
Then it dawns on me, she must have used one of her tier 5 skills, and if she did, she’ll be too tired to retreat on her own.
I’ll need to organize a rescue party to…
The world stops for me as I watch the old man plunge his sword into the generals’ stomach.
I can’t believe what I’m seeing, as the general collapses on her back and every person fighting stops moving. Scholl's warriors stop shooting their spells, and the remaining soldiers on our walls are staring at our fallen general in disbelief.
“But she won,” I try to tell myself, feeling the life drain out of me.
It isn’t until the old man heals himself and rips his sword out of the general and mouths something to her that I understand what's happening.
Scholl's leader hoists his sword over his head and shouts, sending a chain reaction through his men, who look like they're ready to go berzerk.
Pacore flicks the general's blood from his blade before sheathing his sword. He looks over our remaining defenses before activating the magic item he used earlier to amplify his voice.
"People of Olebert, your general is defeated!" He shouts, and Scholl's soldiers cheer so loud they sound like rolling thunder.
I watch him fish a vial from his side and hold it up. “I give you one last chance to surrender your fort. If you do, I’ll see to it that your general survives." The old man's words send my mind into disarray. "If you chose not to surrender, then we will take the fort and leave no survivors. Decide now; your general doesn't have much time before she meets Ebeon!"
Even if he hasn't taken the fort yet, his claims have sent our ranks into disarray. The average soldiers look to me in varying states of panic while my captains and squad leaders look at me with uncertainty in their eyes.
They know even if we surrender, there is no guarantee we still won't be executed.
'Cristopher, your mission is to act as the steward to General Emily Pitz. She's known for her reckless behavior, but she's one of Olebert's finest assets. The king has made it clear her life takes precedent over your own. Olebert can't lose someone of her level, do I make myself clear?' I think about my superior's orders before I met the general for the first time.
Soon after I remember my superior’s orders, I hear General Pitz’s final words to me before she left. ‘From here on out, you're in charge. No matter what happens to me, you're to defend the fort. I'll distract Pacore while you deal with his men. As soon as we start fighting, send everything we have at them.’
What do I do?
I want to honor the general's orders, but I don't want to see her die.
I shakily turn towards the nearest commander. “Raise a red flag, and open the main gate.”
"Are you sure, sir?!" He asks for clarification. I ball my hands into fists at my side. Is this what Lady Pitz felt every time I second-guessed her?
“Just do it,” I tell him, hanging my head.
“By your will, I’ll spread the word.” I watch him run off.
As red flags are hoisted onto the towers, signaling our surrender, I make my way over to the nearest communications mage, who watches me approach with a pale face. "Send immediate word to the supply corps in Teeburn. Fort North Ridge has fallen to Scholl, evacuate the city; they're sure to take that next." I order with a solemn face.
The mage nervously nods and casts his spell. I hear the front gate being opened directly underneath us. Most of our newer soldiers have already tossed aside their weapons like that somehow guarantees they’ll be spared.
I move back over to the edge of the ramparts and glance at where the General had fallen. Mages surround her, but I can't tell if they know healing magic, and I can only hope Pacore sticks to his word.
I look up at the sky as I hear Scholl's army pouring into the courtyard below. Black clouds are forming overhead, and I feel a cold raindrop splash against my cheek.
"We failed," I mumble as the magic weather washes the blood from our ramparts onto the rocky ground below.
**********
Master Pacore the Deathless’ Point of View:
I stroll through the front gates of the fort with Tellis at my side, the cold drizzle unable to penetrate my magic armor.
“What do we do next, Master Pacore? What do we do with the prisoners?” Tellis asks me, high off of the excitement from our win.
"Detain everyone above level 50; release the rest of them," I tell him.
Tellis stumbles over his feet and looks at me with wide eyes. “Release them, that’s insane!?”
I shake my head in disappointment. "If we keep them all as prisoners, how do you plan on feeding them, huh? I'm sure most of the people here under level 50 are conscripts from the surrounding cities and villages. It will hurt us in the long run if we lock them up or execute them."
“But what if they rejoin with the rest of Olebert’s army?” Tellis hastily points out.
I glance at a few young men standing nearby with my soldier's sword pointed at their necks with horror in their eyes. "That might be true for some of them, but can't you see it, Tellis?" I gesture all around me. "Most of these people are broken. I bet they never considered Olebert would lose the fort, let alone their fate should that happen. If we let them go, they'll scurry back to their villages and spread the word of our victory and our benevolence. We need to control the surrounding cities, and a merciful ruler faces less opposition," I explain.
I might have considered killing all of them in my youth, and I've served under leaders who've done just that. They win one fight but make an enemy out of the people they wish to rule, guaranteeing opposition at every turn.
"Who is the leader here!?" I shout. The trained soldiers drop their gazes to the ground to not give their commander away, but the newer men all glance in one direction.
I follow their looks up above the gate we just entered to see a young man staring daggers at me. “Are you in charge of these men?” I ask.
"Is the general ok?" He answers me with his own question.
"Insolent!" Tabitha, my only student who’s earned a feather, brandishes her shield and sword, ready to charge the man.
I hold my hand out, keeping her in place. “Master?” She gives me a questioning look.
Turning back to the man looking down on me, I see my men have surrounded him.
I can tell just by his eyes that he has no intention of fleeing, interesting. "I have my best healers tending to her, and I even used my last tonic on her. It won’t be because of my lack of trying if she does end up dying. Now, is this an elaborate trap to try and kill me, or are you surrendering peacefully?" My men jump at the thought of this being a trap, but I was just joking.
“And you’ll spare the life of my men?” He narrows his eyes at me.
“Of course, I gave my word, did I not? If you surrendered the fort earlier, we could’ve skipped all the bloodshed.” I can see the young man holding back his anger. “Who are you?” I once again ask for the young man’s name.
“Cristopher, steward of great General Emily Pitz,” he passionately claims.
At least a few people in this fort still have some backbone. “Tellis, Tabitha, start processing the captives and organizing our troops. We have more work to do.”
“Yes, Master Pacore,” the two echo one another. “Shackle that man and make sure he doesn’t try anything,” I tell my men surrounding the steward.
Well, that's all the orders I need to give out.
I hope the next fight will be more fun than this one; I think to myself as I walk over the fort’s keep. Time to inspect my new holdings and prepare to take Teeburn.
**********
Kervin’s Point of View:
“What do you think that was all about?” Ryiba motions to the sky.
“Nothing good,” Lurte ominously says.
I’m just as nervous as the two of them. Soon after we left the supply corps base, they locked down the area, turning away all the other merchants, even those waiting in line to sell their goods. All of Teeburn was talking about it.
I got a bad feeling from the whole thing and decided to leave the city early and head back to Drey.
I was trying to put it out of my mind, but a vast flock of messenger birds just passed overhead for the fourth time today.
It goes against my better judgment, but I turn to Reel, who's walking off to the side of the cart. "What do you think, Reel?"
Reel turns towards me, and the hair on the back of my neck stands on end. Reel's expression is serious, and he continues to scan our surroundings even as he answers me. “The messenger guild doesn’t send that many of its birds out unless there’s trouble. The only thing I can think of is if something happened at the fort.”
I move to wipe the nervous sweat from my face. Could something big have happened?
Reel turns around and stares behind us. “See something?” I ask.
"Wagons are approaching, a lot of them," he informs us.
I look over my shoulder to see carts stuffed with goods and supplies rapidly approaching us. We can soon hear the labored panting of the charging Bivol as the first cart approaches.
I start to worry when it doesn’t look like the cart is going to slow down.
At the last minute, the cart swerves to the side of us, ending up halfway off the road, and passes us in a hurry. It's only two minutes before another cart passes us in the same manner. Each is wiping their pack animals, trying to get them to move faster.
I try calling out to the third cart that moves to pass us. “What’s the hurry!?”
The panicked cart driver yells at me, “Fort North Ridge has fallen! Scholl is free to invade!” The man snaps his reins and passes us without saying anything else.
It takes a minute for the news to sink into all of us.
“Fuck!” We all curse at the same time.
Without saying a word, Reel, Lurte, and Ryiba all hop into the back of my cart. I snap my reins to try and get my Bivol to move faster as well. We're only a day away from Teeburn, and that's the next place Scholl will try to take. We need to get out of here!
I turn around and look back in the city's direction and see a hoard of carts heading in our direction.
“Gods, save us,” I utter a short prayer to the darkening sky.
**********
Leonard Grey’s Point of View:
“Has this been authenticated?” My hands tremble as I look at the parchment.
“It has,” the head receptionist confirms my worst fears. "Word is quickly spreading around the city; people are panicking.”
"The fort has fallen," I say out loud, not believing my own words.
“This is horrible!” I have thousands of gold coins invested in the Teeburn branch.
"You're right; this is a tragedy," the head receptionist bats her eyes with a handkerchief as if she’s actually crying. “What is Olebert to do?”
Olebert! Who cares about Olebert, loosing Teeburn will set my plans back by months, I want to scream at the annoying woman, but I know who she reports to.
“Has the main office been notified?” I ask her.
“Word has already been sent,” she tells me.
I feign a concerned look to hide my anger. "That's good; summon everyone we have to the office. We don't have a moment to spare."
The head receptionist nods and rushes out of my office. I frown as she leaves; for a second there, I could've sworn she gave me a knowing look before she turned away from me. Maybe I'm being paranoid, or the stress of the situation is getting to me?
Max shuts the door after checking that the annoying woman is truly gone.
“Damn it, damn it, damn it,” I slam my hands against my desk. “Max, any word from our men in Teeburn?”
“None, boss.”
“Did Scholl already take the city? That would be the worst-case scenario.”
“I don’t think so, boss, but Scholl shouldn’t wait to secure more territory while they have the chance.” Max gives me his possessional opinion.
“Ok, contact our men in Teeburn and tell them they don’t leave the city until they have all my important documents secured! If they leave the city without those papers, they’re dead.”
"Understood, boss," Max briefly leaves the room to convey my orders secretly.
While Max goes to deal with that, I’m forced to figure out where I’m supposed to move my secret documents. I've stored every bit of information I've gathered on Silver Herds operations over the last ten years in Teeburn. The city has remained under my jurisdiction for over a decade, and until the war started, Silver Herd pretty much ignored it.
I can’t believe those fools in the military actually lost the fort.
Leaning back in my chair, I try to imagine how Giovanni is reacting right now. Scholl's army will move in this direction after they take Teeburn, and everything will become complicated.
Depending on what Giovanni decides and how we interact with Scholl will make or break Silver Herd. If we help fight Scholl, it would further Giovanni's goals with Olebert but put us at the mercy of Scholl's forces. If he decides to do business with Scholl, that could also make us quite a profit but should Olebert manage to expel Scholl; we'll be in big trouble.
I know I wanted to leave the company, but I can't join one of the big three merchant companies if I'm labeled a traitor.
How do I deal with this mess, I ask, looking out my office window at the spring sky.
**********
Richard’s Point of View:
"Move, you stupid animal!" I crack the reins, but the bivol continues at its leisurely pace down dirt road leading towards Spotted Creek Village. "Do you think it will move faster if you throw a fireball at it?" I ask Sandra, who's sitting next to me on the cart.
“I told you, you shouldn’t have bought the cheapest one,” she grins at me.
I know she's making fun of me, but she's too beautiful to argue with. "We only need it to get us back to the village. Why would I spend money on a beast we'll throw in the village pens and never see again?” I playfully whine to her.
“Because it will take us a month to get back to the village at this rate,” she snarkily points out to me.
She might have me there.
I wonder if our furniture is too heavy?
Looking behind us, I see all the belongings that we've collected over the past five years. In my spare time, I took up woodworking, and with my architect skills, I was able to craft a lovely dining room set and two dressers for Sandra's clothes. I still keep my clothes in a bare wooden chest, but whatever makes my lovely mage happy. Even if she never wears half of her wardrobe.
“What are you thinking about, sweety?” I immediately have flashbacks of my mother questioning my dad.
“Nothing,” I lightly shake my head.
“You weren’t just thinking something negative about me, weren’t you?” She questions me.
“Nope, just thinking about how lucky I am to have such a powerful, beautiful, amazing woman by my side.” I lean over start kissing her passionately. And psychic, I note to myself.
Sandra plays along for a little bit, but I can see she isn't buying it when she pulls away.
"Are you ready to see the village again?" I ask her, trying to change the subject.
She raises one of her eyebrows at me, meaning she wasn't fooled, but she playfully takes the bait anyway. "I am; I miss our families. I wonder how much has changed since we were last home?"
“I wonder how much the little rabbit has grown,” I chuckle.
“In father’s letters, he said she’s one of the strongest people in the village now. Call her little rabbit to her face, and I might need to find a new man," Sandra jokes.
I playfully lean up against her. “I’m sure the beautiful mage next to me will protect me.”
“I wouldn’t count on that,” Sandra pokes my side causing me to flinch away from her.
We both share a laugh, but I know she's right.
Aaliyah has always been outstanding. I've worked extremely hard these last five years, and I'm still mentally preparing myself to have a lower level than my little sister.
I glance up at the sky. “Things are changing,” I mumble.
“It doesn’t matter how things change as long as we have each other,” Sandra says, leaning up against me this time.
I watch a large bird fly overhead towards our village.
“As long as we have each other,” I agree, stealing her lips with a kiss.
I can’t wait to be home again.
**********
Author’s Notes:
5,600 words.
Ha-ha! Just like every DC and Marvel comic book character ever, no one stays dead for long!
But no, seriously, I never intended to kill off Emily. She still got her ass kicked, but she isn't dead… yet.
This chapter was meant to wrap up the fort's fight and show a glimpse at how the world is shifting around Aaliyah.
Speaking of our main girl, the next chapter is back to Aalyiah's perspective.
Now, about the next two weeks. I plan to drop another chapter on Monday, but after that, I'm taking some time off until December 2. I've been feeling burnt out the last two weeks, and I want to enjoy Thanksgiving without worrying about my writing schedule.
I hope everybody understands.
Thanks for reading the chapter, and as always, stay safe.
Comments
Ruadhán
Max’s possessional opinion -> professional
Leigh Ganschow
hoard -----> horde; possessional -----> professional (spellcheck would have caught that one!)
Docnox
I strongly recommend cutting back so many side perspectives. I honestly skipped the whole battle (cause its irrelevant) just to get to the part of the general still living. While its fine to subvert a trope, shooting your narrative in the foot isn’t good. The reason those authors never release thier final books is because of the corners theyve screwed themselves into. That said, her being captured or rescued last second is the only viable options so well done
bob barker
based on that map's symbolism, the enemy commanders are Jewish. The author is surprisingly aware of history!
LitLeveler
Still annoyed that the arrow ended up being useless after all that invested time.
Mustache
Yeah for some reason this story doesn’t send out notifications. I think it came out Nov 20, but only for the highest Patreon tier
Linkneo5
Did this come out today (Dec 16) or Nov 20 like it says? This post only appeared for me now...and for some reason I don't get notified of new ones for this story. So weird...
Horius
I jumped the battle in this chapter - I knew how it would go. No surprises. I only started reading when I noticed that I arrived where the last chapter ended. Just personal preference, I know others like seeing the same scene from different perspectives. I think Aaliyah is pretty lucky, the invading force is rational. That is historically not a given. So there are many possible routes where nobody she loves gets hurt... but it is quite likely that she will be forced to work for the invading army. A blacksmith is worth too much, especially one with her skills. So, trouble in sight.
frank the baker
Chapy today?
Atli
Happy that the general survived 😁
Miritar
Discord..... please lol
Dikfor
-50DKP!
Brisyngr
When people give you money for your work and support you, at least communicate with them, no etas and only short notice for your 2 week time of is not really responding professional. Bad communication is like 1 of the worst things you can do as a content creator. I mean we are here to support you. And if you cant/dont want to write for a time, let us know before hand, so you give us the chance to decide if we want to support that month or not.
frank the baker
Chapy today?
Gremlin Jack
Ah, that's good, I'm glad you didn't waste all the work developing Pitz.
Elsie Nnaji
No chapter?
Philip Pleiss
I'm enjoying the worldbuilding you are doing here, Kosnik. The backstory introductions for all these side characters and setting the stage for things to come feels really fleshed out. Without these outside perspectives and other characters, the significance of the main character would sound like a hackneyed monologue. Side characters without backstory feel like redshirts and make the story feel contrived and boring. Good cloth is woven from many threads, after all.
George Watermelon
So, Tuesday/Wensday I hope 👍
Patrick Schuldt
That's the problem with fixed release dates. A lot of pressure... I still hope we see it soon 😊
Philip Pleiss
My personal guess? Each of those high ranking officers is going to play a role in the overarching plot in the future. Like certain random people with very distinctive unique uniforms showing up in the village requesting things from the blacksmith.
Sondadir
Kosnik said he will post the next chapter on Monday. And then a break for the holidays. If you're in Europe, (Like me) it would be Monday late at night or Tuesday early at morning.
Monika Djomi
So Tuesday???
Desurtfawks
Thanks for the chapter, looking forward to getting back to our girl.
Nobody
I'm interested in seeing how the invasion plans out, conscription was the rule of the day in the medieval era. Levels means instead of every man getting volun-told to join the army everyone over a certain level threshold will probably get recruited. Probably 25+, with 50+ getting ranks of some kind (in WW2 a College education basically guaranteed an officer's commission from the draft).
yawn
RIP no updates for a week or two
Johann Franz
At first I thought that it doesn't make any sense for Scholl to release the other soldiers. But then I remembered that there are only around 1k soldiers in the fort, so who cares? It could help to rewrite some minor parts to put things in a different perspective for the reader. The last two chapters had a few moments that felt strange even though there may be plausible explanations.
Sondadir
Sandra said from the start that their move to Drey was only temporary. And that she would return when her mage training would be over.
Alteron
I was fooled thinking that Emily was dead, but i do enjoy that the story is not over for Emily, i also like how the story has opened up with new story lines, while wondering how it all will impact Aalyiah.
Imspinnennetz
As I stated previously, I did not care if the General Emily lost or won provided she remained in the periphery of the story. I am still hopeful that the Tier 6 skill and the war does not lead to Aaliyah fighting in the front lines. One point that remains confusing is the nature of mortal wounds in the story. I still do not understand how Pacore is fine with an arrow through the heart. I would have expected both Pacore and the General to be out after the fight regardless of who won or lost.
Cobbly
Have her come back as a spooky ghost if you really wanna. She can turn into an evil spirit Aaliyah fights, then... i dunno. Turns her soul essence into a magic sentient weapon? But whatever you do, do it.
Cobbly
This feels like back pedaling. Figure out what direction you wanna take the story bro. Kill the general. Don't kill the general. Whatever you want, do it.
olyver
I agree that Aaliyah's pov is the most interesting, but I disagree that the other povs are useless or don't bring anything to the story. The crafting of the arrow would have none of the tension it did if we weren't shown the siege and Emilia. Likewise, showing the connection between the fort, the merchants and Aaliyah through several povs makes the defeat at the fort that much more interesting because we know that Aaliyah has connection to it. If we only saw things from her point of view, we would not see the impact she has and the potential conflicts ahead.
Loipers
Great chapter! Now everything is shaken up, and there's some urgency in characters beyond those at the fort. Are Richard and Sandra choosing to come home with all their belongings because he already found out about the fort falling? Although the context suggests it, It isn't entirely clear that they know that yet.
Endoria
I have to be honest, but I have not cared about the different points of view for the majority of the story. I have tolerated them, but I never cared for the characters or for switching between them. In my opinion they were useless for the story and did not add any meaningful information. I did not like the last two chapters, like at all. They did not progress the story in any meaningful way. Someone could have come to the village and told everyone that they had lost and Scholl was now owning the area. Same result. The overly dramatic fight and bad dialogue was worthy of a Dragon Ball episode, but completely out of place in this story. No idea how we got here, but at this point there isn't much left of the previously interesting reincarnation story. It went really off the rails recently.
Evil Legend
If we start reading this Chapter in the middle (where the current POV I'm not interested in sees that Emily lost), we literally won't miss any minimally relevant information. Why describe the high-ranking officers of Scholl, if in the end they did not play a role? The second half of the Chapter as a whole was not bad for a prolonged interlude. But I would be just as happy if the last two chapters didn't exist as such, and instead we could only see the consequences of these events through aliyah's eyes, and reconstruct them from there. I hope that the number of points of view will be reduced to a minimum for at least the next five chapters. So I'm looking forward to seeing aliyah play with her new high-level skills. In theory, the soul eater skill should significantly increase the amount of experience she is going to get.
DecoySnail
I gotta say I really like Pacore I hope he gets to be more than just an antagonist and maybe become a client and see him interact with our cast obvoiusly not becoming part of the main cast of character but still he seems pretty interesting.
Andreas Arne Weiss
I am disappointed with these last couple chapters
Stylemys
I still think that Pacore should be revealed to have a high level Taunt/Challenge-style skill to partially explain Pitz actions. It would make sense tactically too because his build would make him great for tying up high level people in 1v1 duels in the middle of battle. Plus he's obviously obsessed with dueling high level individuals under fair conditions, so it would fit him super well to have leveled up a skill like that a lot.
Stylemys
It could probably be a mutual exchange. Aaliyah can teach her [Empower Spell].
Dylan Coles
Thanks for the chapter and enjoy your thanksgiving break!
olyver
I'm actually curious to see if Sandra is going to teach Aaliyah her magic skills.
Dikfor
Retard
Spleenslitta
Good call on taking time off. I burned myself out over the course of half a year of frantic writing and i never got back that determination i started out with.
Bobtur
Quite a lot of people are bitching in every chapters ... It all started when you admited to take into account readers’ suggestions. And now every retard complain when the story doesn’t Go the way they’ll have it Go. Ignore those retards, your story fucking great, and keep the good work dude !
DominusIgnis
Don't feel bad about taking a holiday break. We will be here when your back.
Pltergeist
Enjoy your time off :)
Imp
Too many random view points of people i dont care about, detailing things that fundamentally don't matter. Over half this chapter and the map could have been cut, and the story would have been fine.
Blackmoon11
Right ? we have not really seen them since like ch 20. The level of snark and shit talk the next chapter promises will be entertaining . Pitz VS Pacore ? pfft whatever, Aaliyah VS Richard, Tai lung Voice "OUR BATTLE WILL BE LEGENDARY!!"
Schlofi
Enemy general has brains and is not a comic villian, yes! Like how it turned out, excited to see where it goes from here.
Kristaps Kramins
I am honeslty glad you didn't make Pacore and Scholl a generic--kill everyone--bad guy. The release or ransome is good and I like it.
Will mILLER
I’ve missed Richard and Sandra
Carl Mason
Well,it was interesting to see what was happening inside the fort during the battle, but you are right: it was unnecessary. As far as the story goes, the "camera" could have jumped to Christopher when she fell or just before, though it would have been more jarring. Of course, the "death" of a powerful figure should be jarring to the people watching.
Philip Pleiss
Awesome chapter! Thank you! I just signed up for your patreon after two days of binge reading. So addictive. The crafting aspects are what really drew me in, and I hope Aaliyah figures out how to extract things like Tungsten and Aluminum. Heck, even figuring out something like the CrMo alloys they use in steel pipe would be awesome. Maybe she will swap the "water" purification rune with the "earth" purification rune and hook it up to her smelter to separate metals? Anyhoo, Minor corrections: "...less I accidentally take" --> "...lest I accidentally take" "the bolder" --> "the boulder" "a hoard of carts" --> "a horde of carts" "loosing Teeburn" --> "losing Teeburn" "playfully wine" --> "playfully whine" "in grey robs"--> "in grey robes"
Carl Mason
Don't worry about it and enjoy your holiday, you have earned the right to a relaxing break. It is more important to keep you healthy and writing than to force you to writ more at a lesser standard. So few of the web-novel taskmasters understand that. Woo enjoy and come back to us when you are done, we will miss you and your wonderful story; just not that much, it is only one release day after all.
John Koor
The first half of this chapter, up until Emily fell, seemed pretty pointless. It gave us a point of view that was unnecessary. Seeing her XO's pov of her fall was good, but the parts prior to that added nothing. It was boring, because we knew what was coming. After the general fell was great though, it advanced the story.
Talespinner Lore
If you think about it, our MC will probably still be supplying the general with arrows, even if she's working for the other side. As Pacore doesn't really seem to care about the general populace, her being a crafter should allow her to skate by mostly unscathed. It's not like she has a sense of loyalty to the country after all, and her supplying Pacore might be the tipping point for the Silver Herd as well. She's definitely going to be looked into by them though, as Pacore's for sure going to want to know where the arrow came from.
tibbish
Silent Majority supporter spotted!!
Alex C
Just remember that usually the people who enjoyed the story a normal amount don't comment! It's only the extremes that come out to talk and usually the negative ones want to be heard more.
Alex C
Yes but that's very common. There are ups and downs. In content and subscriptions. Very few can set up a schedule and hit every deadline and it's fine if people come and go on subscriptions. As long as a certain level of releases are kept up the core will stay and people will come back every few months to read the new stuff for a month and then drop it again till more builds up.
Alex C
Huh? I've known lip biters before...
MagicWafflez
not gonna lie, the way emily talks about lower leveled commoners and forces her will on people made me somewhat dislike her. tbh, i think these guys are probably nicer to commoners in the long run
Melting Sky
The best laid plans of mice and men... I like the theme here and it was quite well executed. By zooming out and giving us a brief glimpse of all these different people's perspectives we get to see how easy it really is for all our illusions of control and normalcy to evaporate in a single stroke of fate. As big and important as our personal struggles seem to us, they are nothing but specks of dust before the winds of change.
Chemnerd263
I like it. I'm unsure about general Pitz living, but the way you framed it makes sense to me so I am happy to see where things go. I am very glad we will be moving back to the MC because as much as the worldbuilding is important and necessary they aren't as much fun for me... take care of your mental health, enjoy your holiday.
Nathan
Enjoy your time off and have lots of turkey!!!
Null
No I don't understand but you do you...
tibbish
Well its been hinted at they were attacked first and that Scholl are the aggressors here but yeah they DO appear pretty incompetent. After all they let the fort fall into disrepair at a minimum and didn't keep it properly provisioned either. Incompetence and/or corruption at the top could explain it. Both in story and historically. Hell look at a lot of the leadership around the world today. Most of them don't appear to be good enough to run a McDonalds IMO and yet somehow they get elected anyways.
Max Scherer
So yeah Olebert seem imcompetent bas fuck? That Fort seemed to be really important how could be lost so seemingly easy? I mean yes they laid siege a long time, but how the fuck did Scholl get reinforcment so fucking fast and Oleberst Reinforcement is NOWHERE in sight. That just doesnt make sense. Espcially it didnt seem that Scholl inteded for the later reinforcment from the start, so they had to gather all the commanders first. How where they still faster? Sorry that just doesnt makes sense. I really hope that doesnt end in someone from her fam ily dying(or captured) if yes, just meh.
Stephen Pearson
This would be a good ending chapter, actually. Lot of things resolved, lots of transitions happening, everything getting set up for the next arc... I wonder if Kosnik planned it with that in mind?
Markus
Even if she was drafted into the army, I doubt she would fight. Her skills as a blacksmith are far too valuable for that.
Obsidianking
Hey just some food for thought, if you have averaged around 5000 words per chapter you have written the same amount as a game of thrones book. Just a thought but congratulations you have literally written enough to be a full book that is a amazing accomplishment, so kudos and I hope this helps people realize that you did this without breaks on a weekly schedule. So take your time if needed you deserve it
Obsidianking
Great chapter, I like the de escalation of the war. Schole seems to want to actually take over the country vs wiping them all out, which i think will slow down the battles and make it more background for the main story. I think this is also going to allow Sholes higher ups to slowly search out and look for the mc and further more plot there. Also taking time for yourself and planning out the next few main plot ideas you want to hit on is great. Hope you have happy holidays and get recharged for the next arc in your story
RanaSuilep
You have people biting their lips too much that never happens in real life try it yourself you’ll find it near impossible. Just FYI.
tibbish
Ransoming did indeed happen lots but you'll also find many instances where captured royals were killed either in or after combat. Why would they kill them? Sometimes it was personal grievances, sometimes it was to stop a particularly pernicious opponent from ever coming for revenge, sometimes it was politics, sometimes they were planning on taking their lands permanently (conquering), and sometimes it was to demonstrate their resolve for the war and loyalty towards the commanders/nobles in charge. We don't really know Scholl's reason for going to war at this point. Just that the country of Olebert seems to have been caught off guard and has been struggling to ready itself properly for war for a while. We also know that there are other fronts that are being fought on too but not much of anything about them. For all we know Scholl is indeed aiming to outright conquer Olebert. They seem to be the aggressors although even that isn't 100% clear either. In that case they might very well start killing off the nobles they capture. After all the dead have no claims to the land nor can they rally the locals against the conquerors as well. Also that could intimidate any remaining nobles and make them surrender if they believe the alternative is to die pointlessly in a lost cause on the battlefield. That happened all the time IRL too.
Markus
Yeah, they've been waiting months for reinforcements. And with all the movement skills and whatnot... the only explanation for me why they haven't arrived yet... for me is that they never started marching. So naturally, the question arises why that is the case. Maybe some opportunistic nobles are already working together with Scholl and are delaying everything.
Markus
It was already mentioned at the beginning that she is actually a monster hunter. So the only reason why she is a general is probably her high level and status as a noble. As in real history, just because she is a noblewoman does not mean that she is a capable military leader. That she survived the whole thing makes a lot of sense to me. Of course, a lot of people are complaining now that Kosnik isn't going through with it. But if you look at the story world. Why would you kill an enemy nobleman? You usually capture as many of them as possible, for two reasons: First, to demand a ransom, and second, to get into to be captured instead of being killed yourself. Historically, even ordinary soldiers were ransomed. This was called Wergeld. (Old High German -> man price)
Gray Gillespie
I wonder just how far away we’re Oleberts reinforcements. It’s been said they were requested at the fort and that they’d be unlikely to arrive in time but it’d be really informative total country troop movements (at least from Olebert) now that Scholl has seized the fort.
Sondadir
Thanks for the chapter ! :) Hostage taking is quite common in medieval times so it does makes sense. What also makes sense in a war of conquest is to preserve the land acquired. An army that moves is in need of food. They don't burn villages and farms when they need it. I hope Richard makes it home safe and sound. The village seems safer than Drey at a time like this.
Tera
Thank you for the chapter!!!! I liked the way you brought up the consequences of the falling fort. And there will be a big reunion in the village!! Even if short-lived.
Miguel Wolmers
Monday is the 23'rd... It's literally the last week of the month. Hardly the middle
tibbish
The general gets to live?! Boooooooooo I mean yeah I can see why you'd want to keep her around after so many people complained about the last chapter but she really should've gotten killed. She might be good against monsters but is clearly mediocre in war as a leader.
Obran
As for the layout of the fort? The hills or cliffs on either side of the fort and the corresponding open spaces bug me. If the two grey areas are cliffs then the fort should plug the gap so that invading armies need to go through and not around them. If they are hills the fort should be on top of it to give both vantage point / overwatch and also make it herder for the invading forces to fight (uphill). If it is forest the trees should have been cleared back. And if they are lakes a natural moat should have been constructed.
Obran
While I didn’t really care about whether the general lived or died a lot of this chapter rubbed me the wrong way.. Not sure I like tageneral to be the best fighter in the army. A general should be the best Leader in the army, regardless of level or fighting skills. To put it in perspective in the US army the best fighters are delta force, but most of them rank as Sargents. The generals are mostly old men (and women) who have a combination of political, strategic and tactical skills. They are also people who don’t rush straight into battle. Also the feather thing bugs me a bit. Again with the US army. Officers don’t wear anything distinctive in combat, nor do they get saluted. If they did, they would be the first target for snipers.
Aaron Johnson
PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT MAKE Aalyiah SOME SORT OF FUCKING HEROINE (sobs) seriously this is so overused that she will have some sort of inspiration, a sort of patriotic spur of the moment where she will throw herself on a blade of duty, courage, meaningless self-sacrifice and of course the spur of the fucking moment. Please keep her doing what she is doing and if u want her to explore the world and fight go with the adventure route not some heroine route where she is entrapped in politics. While I can see the appeal of doing the whole military recruitment thing it's ultimately not who she is, Aalyiah does not seem to chase after fame, fortune, or even some sort of recognition. But from close friends, associates, and family
Call0013
This chapter is a improvement over the ones since she fought the Halloween monster. I still don't like the Tier 6 Skill and hope she finds a way to get rid of it Maybe she can sacrifice it and get rid of it or something. a weapon made by sacrificing a Tier 6 skill would be interesting.
Giperman
Hey, look! This chapter got more likes than comments! It's not that controversial!
Jon Oliphant
Well Olebert certainly has screwed the pooch. Normally this sideshow would be really interesting, especially since it is trying to open up possibilities. Problem for me is, it's a sideshow and it's a sideshow that's growing bigger than the main show. Still a very good read and enjoyable but it's just not Aayilah.
Monika Djomi
Ok so good job on keeping Emily alive without an asspull. But it still feels less than the previous chapters. Also I don't know if it's just me but there seems to be more grammatical errors than before, please take note. Lastly I understand you need a break which I also recommend if you are feeling stressed but please next time could you do it at the tail end or beginning of the month?, thank you.
Dikfor
This chapter would make a good epilogue. It leaves a lot of anticipation for a next book.
thkiw
good. it'd be a shame after all of that character development
Milandaanza
Actually I’m not sure. The level 50 and above rule of scholl firmly puts her family safe. In fact it’s only Mc, her master and the main hunter who fall above the line. She’s also pushed herself to the point she can make level 100+ equipment. It’s actually a good reason for her to leave town and go on an adventure until the war resolves. It was a curve ball for sure but I can see the smooth transition to her finally leaving town now rather then someday.
Loki-L
To be honest, I don't really care all that much whether the general lives or dies. What got me with the last chapter was that it appeared to turn half a year worth of weekly chapters into a giant shaggy dog story. All that buildup with the arrows and the merchants seemef to have been wasted. Now it looks like that is not the case and instead will be used to set up other storylined. It is nice to see big brother snd his girlfriend coming home. With enemy soldiers roaming the countryside it might be a good idea to fort up the village a bit more. A builder and a mage together with someone who might finally start learning enchanting could throw up at least some defenses. Not that it will help much against the bulk of the army, but it might hold of whatever detachment they send for a small village. Until somebody decides to sell out the secret of the Smith to the enemy.
D
Yes, i liked the other pov's because they helpeld in world building. Walking Inn has shown that you dont need someone to do the walking around if you can show it from the view of others. Its a bit concerning having a working relationship with a company that may go rouge and work with the enemy. Or at least the guy who sold her the metal trying to use her as a bargain chip. So leaving sounds right, i just hope it dosnt end with her going isekay. As i said before, let others do the fighting and her providing the tools for it. ^^ Having her brother coming back sounds like a great family reunen but perhaps they will just all leave like that before sholl marches in. x))
Cyryl Chołodowski
Have a nice break!! Burn out is evil and shall be eradicated with proper vacations and breaks!!
Simon Casey
I mean, Kosnik4 asked for people’s opinion on the last chapter, which was a major contributor to the number of comments. Also, there’s a lot of mixed responses on both chapters if you actually read them. Plenty of people were fine with the twist last chapter, and some were whiny. Some people on this chapter think it’s a deus ex machina, while others think it’s a reasonable result (i fall in the second camp btw, we’re in fantasy land, there’s no reason to assume a sword to the gut is lethal, and either way it’s Kosnik4’s story to tell). The people who comment are the people who feel the most strongly, and when something dramatic like this happens, commenters will come out of the woodwork on both sides. If you asked the average reader I imagine their feelings would be much less strong.
Milandaanza
I agree that the death would have been amazing but at the same times logistically it makes a Lot of sense. The general ended it with the lowest loss of life AND set it up for surrounding villages to support him. It’s a good show of tactics imo.
Milandaanza
Thanks for the heads up on Hiatus. I like the world changing around her. It feels like a good reason to have her leave home for awhile. Anyone over level 50 is flagged and that’s a great reason for Aaliyah to take a bit of a journey until things resolve. I know you include a lot of world building but you’ve yet to show us Why these kingdoms are fighting. And can’t wait for Richards homecoming!
Mist of Shadows
It wasn't the general dying that bothered me, it was the way it happened. (it felt like idiot ball was involved in several ways that might not be fair) I think it would have been an interesting chapter/feel to get her brother's pov and the merchants... and the middle management merchant's pov... I'm sort of with you on the assistant's point of view, it could have been left for Nathanial explaining things when he tracked the smith down...
webolive
Dunno, that feel so randomn. I don't really liked Emily, but you could at least gived her a epic death, that was just meh...
Jywert
Yeah, I like this direction. Did think that a high-level person is more valuable than a fort. Maybe has maybe too much explaining? But has a lot of different points of view. Could expand on that as people have different priorities but feels fine as it is. Yeah, have a good and blessed Thanksgiving.
Mist of Shadows
Nah, just means that they have a plan, this isn't an MMO, high level people don't grow on trees and he wants/wanted a fight. So he ransoms her back with a contract or something and gets more out of it than he would if he just killed her.
Ninetails
4 of the 5 last chapters have been problematic, and then there is a break shortly after, with one of those problematic chapters also costing an extra update due to the author not being happy with the result by the normal deadline. All in all this points toward some kind of trouble, and I would not be surprised if there is a sudden drop in subscription by December.
Marius K
Holy hell, why is this story filled with so many whiney comments? Last chapter was filled with over 300 comments, how it’s bad that the general died and how bad the author and the story is. Now, the other half cries how the general surviving is bad for the story and they can’t enjoy the story anymore. I am subscribed to lots of different stories on patreon but this is the fanbase with the most entitled subscribers. Webnovels like the Wandering inn barely get 50 comments on a new post, but this story gets more than 200 just to complain.
Seth
Thanks for the chapter!
Sebastian Osterbrink
I liked it.
It'sATap
that'd be a solid use of contract magic in this world. It'd actually allow for a lot of interesting stuff. If you could contract someone to never fight you I don't see why they wouldn't do that. Although our MC would be able to rip those contracts to pieces.
It'sATap
okay I dislike this chapter. It'd be so much better for us to NOT know these details and to watch the MC find out what happened over time and learn that way But I suppose it's alright so that the butthurt people can stop crying about PoV characters dying, seriously, it's like these readers have never read books that have important people die. P.S. It'd be hilarious if she still dies now because the healing wasn't enough. Holy shit I think you'd straight up murder some of the readers here.
Fullfirewall
Ok this does make me a bit happy to see Emily hasn't kicked the bucket yet
FunkyCredo
Not following through with actually killing the general is a really mediocre decision. It’s sends a clear message that characters have plot armor and drains away any sort of potential tension
Jack Trowell
take president => precedent
Caleb Bear
If you ever decide to get this story professionally edited and self publish it on Amazon, this chapter would probably be a great final chapter for book 2 or a really long book 1.
Stephen Pearson
I think it's mostly setting up for a fanservice moment; 'she's probably past my level already' to '...you're over double my level!'. I find it amusing that his wife hasn't clued him in, since his dad had talked about her level previously. Heck, surely he knows she went toe to toe with a horned hob, at least?
Hayden Lux
Loved the chapter and loved seeing Richards perspective. We haven't see him in five years and never got his POV so i think it was a good idea and wouldn't mind more. But seriously his sister was already past there parents level or at least cloe before he left of course she is higher than him idk how he could think otherwise.
Ungrave
Wow, that was a very nice "recovery" (not that anything was broken, but this chapter makes most of the people who were upset about the last chapter irrelevant.) I'm liking how the view is shifting around things, but hope that you can narrow the focus onto Aalyiah for the next while (as it looks like you're going to do.) One thing I'm curious about is the weather change that the battle caused since there didn't seem to be a whole lot of massive tactical magic in that specific fight that I noticed, so I'm wondering if that was perhaps a more subdued battle in terms of magic weather shifts. Thanks for the chapter!
Mist of Shadows
Hmm, I think the fight scene was a bit weird in that we didn't really get a good sense of stats and armor and such for the Scholl leader but he actually seemed to have some reasonable ideas for taking prisoners and things made sense from his point of view. I have a feeling we'll get a better view of things in the coming chapters that will hopefully shed some light on things. Either way, the smith girl is back next chapter and family and all that which should be good.
Niraada
What are your goals here, at this point? For me, I feel like I've gone from enjoying the story to all of a sudden having my immersion shattered with this and the previous chapter. Why? I found the previous chapter distasteful enough that when this one started to reiterate on it, I just stopped reading, and based on your comment at the end, it all seems to have been in service to some 'gotcha' moment that at this point I just... don't care to read. I'm trying to keep my criticisms constructive here, but I think that's about as much as I can offer. Good luck with the rest of your story, but at this point, I feel like this decision is just too offputting for me to continue with it.
PatronTurtle
End of Act 2. Feels like we're about to really get going here. Reunion for some happy-go-lucky then Scholl hits the fan
Andrew
Thank you and enjoy Thanksgiving!
Justin
Thanks for the update and rest up!
Somberfish
Enjoy your break. I enjoyed the chapter.
North Scorpion
Good save on the General. Though now the kingdom is gonna be paying a very steep ransom for her back. And usually after such ransoms the people ransomed usually were forbidden from fighting again....
Abdullah
Did not see that coming
Abdullah
Ngl
tj oram
We have been bamboozled
Hunendora
When Christopher is thinking about his orders, president should be precedence.
Vegetables
Thanks for the words. Bolder > boulder. A big rock is spelled boulder. We all cures > we all curse Playfully wine > playfully whine
Mechrono
First, Idk if that even matters here.
