Chapter 30.4: The Final Battle - An Unexpected Savior
Personal System Calendar: Year 0009, Days 1-28 Month XI: The Imperium
Imperial Calendar: Year 6854, 11th month, 1st to 28th Day
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Duke Maximilian Solmane
A few weeks ago, in the heart of the empire...
One of the pillars of the Empire, Duke Maximilian of House Solmane, heard an interesting report from the Palace. An unusual boy had been invited by the Emperor as a personal guest, which was extraordinary enough to warrant the deployment of the Dragonguards abroad. Such attention from Emperor Janus was vanishingly rare and indicated something truly exceptional.
House Solmane was renowned throughout the empire and beyond for multiple specialties. Their mastery of Solar Fire Magic combined the purifying light of the sun with their devastating flame, creating golden fires that burned hotter than any forge and could purify corruption wherever it manifested. As master engineers, they had helped in designing and constructing the empire's greatest siege engines, fortifications, and architectural marvels. Most famously, House Solmane had been one of the primary architects of the magnificent walls surrounding the Regional Capital City of Aethelgard, structures so massive and impressive they defied conventional comprehension.
Their sigil was a golden lion with a radiant mane beneath a blazing sun, surrounded by geometric patterns representing architectural perfection. This imagery captured both aspects of their house's nature: the courageous warriors known as the Lions, whose hearts never wavered even when facing certain death, and the precise engineers whose works would endure for millennia.
The Solar Guard, House Solmane's military force, consisted of 100,000 elite warriors in golden armor wielding light-infused weapons that burned with internal fire. They were considered among the finest regular elite forces in the entire Imperial Army, their reputation built on centuries of unwavering courage and tactical excellence.
Duke Maximilian himself embodied these qualities perfectly. Though he presented a stoic, controlled image to the public, those who knew him well understood this was merely a mask. With people he considered worthy of his true self, particularly the Emperor who had known him since childhood as his godson, Maximilian was enthusiastic, direct, and sometimes exhaustingly curious.
With his characteristic straightforwardness, he wanted to see what type of person would interest Emperor Janus enough to deploy the Dragonguards. Excitedly, he rushed from his own estate and went directly to the imperial palace.
"My liege! It is Maximilian, I greet you, oh sun of the empire!" His voice echoed through the throne room with theatrical enthusiasm.
Emperor Janus, seated on the Golden Crystalline Throne, suppressed a sigh. He hated such theatrics, but he had long since grown tired of reminding Maximilian for what felt like the millionth time. The duke was grandson of one of the twenty original founding nobles who had helped establish the empire alongside Janus himself, back when the Emperor had been merely an ambitious young warrior rather than the immortal half-god who now ruled.
The twenty founding dukes and duchesses were long dead, replaced by their descendants who carried on their legacies. But Janus remembered them all with perfect clarity, and sometimes when looking at Maximilian, he saw the echo of his old friend's features and personality.
So he let the theatrics continue, knowing that Maximilian wouldn't listen to any admonishments anyway. The duke would simply argue that such proclamations were compliments, ways of showing proper respect to the Emperor's station.
"Yes, yes, Maximilian. Get straight to the point. What compelled you to rush here?" Emperor Janus couldn't truly admonish him harshly. Maximilian was one of the few people he could ask to handle tasks that other dukes/duchesses would refuse or bungle, someone whose loyalty and competence were absolutely unquestionable. So he begrudgingly asked the man who was literally his godson what he wanted, his visible annoyance more performance than genuine irritation.
Maximilian was still all smiles and optimism. He asked something that had been bothering him, displaying the directness that few others would dare use with the Emperor.
"Yes, liege! I want to ask about the boy I heard you invited! I was about to come see him for myself, but I heard he'd already returned home. So how was he? What made him worth the Dragonguard escort?"
Ah, I see. This is what brought him here. Emperor Janus thought.
"Two words," the Emperor said simply. "Extreme potential."
Without elaborating further, Emperor Janus indicated the conversation was concluded. He didn't want to humor Maximilian any longer. He remembered when the duke was younger, how he would rattle off questions endlessly, testing even the Emperor's considerable patience. There were mountains of documents requiring his attention, matters of state that couldn't be delayed for casual conversation.
As Maximilian opened his mouth to ask another question, the Emperor released a very specific aura of power, subtle but unmistakable. Even this formidable man shuddered slightly in automatic submission to authority that transcended mortal comprehension.
Maximilian understood the message immediately. He bowed and thanked the Emperor, then departed. But his curiosity wasn't satisfied. He would simply ask someone else now. Grand Advisor Solomon would surely have more details!
Grand Advisor Solomon was considerably less pleased when Maximilian tracked him down and proceeded to ask what seemed like a thousand questions with no end to his curiosity. The duke only departed when fully satisfied with the information he'd extracted.
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The Dukes Decision
Now Maximilian, unlike his stoic public persona, was displaying behavior reserved for people he considered worthy of seeing his true self. He had decided, after hearing reports about the escalating crisis in the great forest where the boy lived, to personally travel there.
His stated reason was simple curiosity. He wanted to meet this August Finn who had so impressed the Emperor. He genuinely didn't care about the broader political or military situation. But what the duke didn't fully understand was that his presence would unconsciously provide crucial aid to August and the entire Lonelywoods Forest.
Sometimes fate worked through such seemingly random decisions.
He assembled 2,000 of his Solar Guard and prepared to march toward the forest. The timing proved fortuitous in ways even his considerable intelligence couldn't have predicted.
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The Truce
While Duke Maximilian prepared his expedition, the battle at Lonelywood's Forest had reached a temporary stalemate. Both the offensive Shadowfen forces and the Lonelywoods defenders had agreed to a three-day truce, ostensibly to recover from their devastating engagement but actually because both sides needed time to reassess their strategies.
The Shadowfen behemoths had been shocked by the ferocity of resistance. They had expected an easy conquest and instead faced coordinated defense that had killed two of their number and severely wounded several others. Their pride was wounded as badly as their bodies, but they weren't foolish enough to throw themselves into another battle without proper preparation.
For the defenders, the truce was a desperately needed breathing room. They had won the engagement through superior tactics and desperate courage, but the cost had been catastrophic. Every defender bore wounds, resources were depleted, and morale hung by a thread. Without time to recover, the next assault would likely break them completely.
The truce was extended twice, becoming an eight-day cessation of hostilities as both sides maneuvered for advantage and tried to predict what the other would do next.
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The Duke Arrives
Duke Maximilian arrived at the forest's vicinity on the fifth day of the truce. He rode his massive war lion, a creature bred by House Solmane specifically for mounted combat, easily ten times the size of a normal lion with a mane that seemed to shimmer with internal golden light. Behind him marched 2,000 Solar Guard in perfect formation, their golden armor catching and reflecting sunlight in ways that made them appear almost otherworldly.
Their house sigil was displayed prominently on banners that even wounded imperial regional soldiers could immediately identify. The appearance of Duke Maximilian's forces was like the sun breaking through storm clouds. Even the darkening, corrupted sections of the forest seemed to brighten at their arrival, as if their mere presence pushed back shadows.
The village gates, or what remained of them after having been repeatedly breached and repatched by defenders, stood partially open. Imperial soldiers stationed there immediately recognized the sigil and banners of House Solmane.
All of the imperial soldiers, from the lowest-ranked private to Colonel Commander Araxes himself, bowed before Duke Maximilian. It was a sign of great respect for one of the empire's most recognized individuals. While imperial soldiers were forbidden from worshiping or openly praising Emperor Janus, no such restriction applied to the dukes and duchesses. Those who served under them treated such gestures of respect as compliments rather than inappropriate veneration.
Colonel Commander Araxes stepped forward nervously, his admiration for this legendary figure evident in his posture and tone. "Sir... Duke Maximilian... What brings you here to the frontiers? Are you perhaps the reinforcement the empire has sent?"
Duke Maximilian's public mask was firmly in place, his expression stoic and controlled. "I am here to see the man that the Emperor took interest in," he stated simply.
The rest of the defenders felt their hearts sink. Some felt a wave of hopelessness wash over them. This extraordinarily powerful figure hadn't come to save them. He was here to meet August, and their desperate situation was apparently incidental to his purpose.
"Ah, well, Duke," Araxes managed, trying to maintain professional composure, "August Finn is currently recovering from his injuries and resting in his quarters. We are... how should I say this... on our final reserves until the enemy attacks again."
The duke's stoic mask cracked, revealing genuine anger beneath. He hadn't wanted his meeting with August interrupted, and he wanted the boy to be in full health before conducting any evaluation. The idea that enemies would dare attack an imperial protectorate settlement while he was here was personally offensive.
"What! What insolence! Who attacks a protectorate settlement of the Empire? Have they no fear, like those idiots from that rebel group (Nobodies Revolt) :p?"
His voice carried such authority that even veteran soldiers flinched. Then he immediately began issuing orders to the engineering support group that traveled with House Solmane forces wherever they deployed. Four thousand engineers and other support personnel had accompanied the 2,000 Solar Guard, a ratio that seemed excessive until one understood that House Solmane's true power lay as much in construction as combat.
He demanded a full briefing on the current crisis the village and forest faced.
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Village Transformation
Within three days, Maya Village had been transformed into something far more formidable than its original defensive structures. The engineers of House Solmane worked with speed and skill that seemed almost magical, though it was simply the result of centuries of accumulated expertise and techniques passed down through generations.
The damaged walls were not merely repaired but reinforced and heightened. Strategic towers were added at key points, providing better sight lines and defensive positions. The gates were rebuilt with mechanisms that would allow them to be sealed in seconds yet opened quickly for sorties. Underground shelters were expanded and strengthened.
Most impressively, subtle enchantments were woven into every structure, solar magic infused into stone and wood that would make the fortifications more resistant to both physical assault and corruption. The engineers understood that they were fighting an enemy empowered by shadow, so they built defenses specifically designed to counter such forces.
Chief Red and the village council were stunned that such a prestigious figure was transforming their settlement, even if technically he was doing it for August rather than for them specifically. By association with the boy that the Emperor favored, they were receiving assistance from one of the empire's greatest houses.
The duke's presence alone boosted morale tremendously, at least among the defenders in Maya Village. Seeing the golden-armored Solar Guard manning positions alongside regular soldiers created a psychological effect that couldn't be quantified but was unmistakably real.
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Recognition of Power
Master Ben, in his three centuries of accumulated wisdom, immediately recognized that Duke Maximilian stood above others as an apex that even he couldn't fully fathom. The duke was like Emperor Janus in some ways, though obviously less dangerous than the Emperor himself, who was essentially a walking deity in all practical senses.
But this man was stronger than Master Ben and Aetherwing combined. He was ancient, possibly the most sophisticated and powerful leader House Solmane had ever produced. Surely he possessed power equivalent to ten Arbiter Guardian Beasts in his current restricted form, and probably vastly more when he released his Oath of the Strong.
That alone spoke volumes about the scale of power concentrated in the empire's highest leadership. Duke Maximilian, like Master Ben, had taken the Oath that limited his output to prevent accidentally destroying everything around him during combat. But even restricted to 10% of his true capabilities, he was a force of nature.
Master Ben realized that this man was far older than himself. In fact, Duke Maximilian was likely on par in age and power with Master Ben's own teacher, the legendary Elder Solomon. That placed him among the truly ancient beings who had witnessed the empire's founding and shaped its development across centuries.
Master Ben could only breathe a sigh of profound relief. Their prayers had been answered. A savior sent by heaven itself had arrived.
Literally, they had been saved.
And if Aetherwing, Master Ben and all the powerful creatures in Lonelywoods had felt the dangerous existence that had arrived, then those beyond the border in Shadowfen had recognized this threat as well. That was why they hadn't launched another attack despite the truce technically ending.
The Shadowfen behemoths' pride didn't allow them to continue this embarrassing stalemate, but they couldn't decide whether pursuing this battle was wise anymore. They were reduced to eighteen from the original twenty, and several still bore injuries that hadn't fully healed.
For now, they waited to see what would happen before making their next move. They needed their wounds to heal at minimum before committing to another engagement against defenders who had suddenly been reinforced by one of the empire's legendary figures.
Pico the Wise Old Owl, observing from her distant domain, felt something she hadn't experienced in generations: genuine uncertainty and overwhelming sense of embarrassment and humiliation. Duke Maximilian Solmane's presence alone had changed calculations in ways that her strategic mind struggled to fully account for.
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The Scale of the Empire
To understand why Duke Maximilian's arrival was so significant, one needed to comprehend the scale of the empire he represented and the role his house played in its defense.
The magnificent Regional Capital City of Aethelgard encompassed an astonishing 41 million square kilometers of the 70 million square kilometers of the western subcontinent of Arkanus. Its massive walls, primarily designed and constructed by House Solmane's engineers over centuries, encircled this metropolis as far as the eye could see. These enchanted surfaces gleamed in sunlight like the scales of some colossal protective dragon whose body encompassed the greatest city ever built by mortal hands.
The city was divided into four great sections, each representing different tiers of society and function:
The Innermost City Sanctum encompassed 1 million square kilometers. Here resided the Golden Crystal Spire of Eternity, the Regalia Imperion, the Crownhold Aethelgard, and the magnificent Golden Crystalline Throne of Emperor Janus himself. The highest echelons of imperial society lived here, along with every major institution required to administer territories spanning multiple subcontinents.
Walls reaching 200 meters in height and 50 meters in width protected this sacred center. These barriers had never been breached in the empire's history, their construction infused with protective magic that had been continuously reinforced over millennia.
The Inner City Sanctum occupied another 5 million square kilometers, housing the four Archducal houses in sections of 1.25 million square kilometers each. Here lived the higher-tiered citizenry who managed the regional capital's economy and the empire's wealth. Walls standing 150 meters tall and 30 meters wide surrounded this section.
The Middle City Sanctum encompassed 12 million square kilometers, housing middle-tier citizens and the Military Academy of Elite Forces. This tier contained 2.1 million elite warriors, each capable of facing ten ordinary imperial soldiers in battle. Walls rising 100 meters tall and 25 meters wide encircled this productive heart of the empire.
The Outermost City Sanctum spanned an impressive 23 million square kilometers, occupied by lower-tiered citizenry and various military institutions. Most impressive were the Outer Sanctum Grand City Walls spanning the entire 41 million square kilometer perimeter.
These walls were engineering marvels beyond any other structure in the known world. They measured 200 meters wide at the outer partition, with 150 meters of interior living space, another 200 meters of reinforced backing, standing 60 meters tall with a total thickness of 550 meters. They completely encircled the entire 41 million square kilometers of the Grand City.
To put this in perspective: if one tried to walk the perimeter of Aethelgard's walls, following their complete circuit, the journey would span approximately 72,000 kilometers, roughly 1.8 times the circumference of Aerth itself. The walls were so vast that standing on one section, you couldn't see the curve or end in any direction. They simply continued to the horizon and beyond, a man-made structure on a geological scale.
The regular garrison defending these walls consisted of 23 million combat specialists and 46 million support personnel. This force was so vast and well-trained that no enemy had dared launch a direct assault on the capital in over a millenia.
The total population within Aethelgard was 2 billion souls.
House Solmane had been instrumental in designing, constructing, and maintaining these incomprehensible fortifications. Duke Maximilian himself had personally overseen some of the more recent reconstruction projects in his time that reinforced critical sections. His understanding of defensive architecture was unmatched in the empire.
And this was the man who had arrived at Maya Village. A strategist who thought in terms of protecting 2 billion people behind walls that encircled 41 million square kilometers. A warrior whose personal power equaled ten Arbiter Guardian Beasts. An engineer whose works would stand for millennia.
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Hope Rekindled
August, having recovered enough to walk, came to see the duke who had requested his presence. He found Duke Maximilian inspecting the reinforced walls, nodding with satisfaction at the work his engineers had accomplished in mere days.
"Duke Maximilian," August said, bowing with respect appropriate to the duke's station.
The duke turned, and his stoic public mask shifted slightly, showing genuine interest as he studied August with eyes that had seen centuries of history. "So you're the boy who impressed the Emperor enough to warrant the Dragonguard escort. I can see why now. Your aura is... unusual. Fascinating."
"I understand you came here to meet me sir," August said carefully. "I'm honored, though I wish it were under better circumstances."
"Circumstances can always be improved," Duke Maximilian replied. "Your village's defensive situation was appalling. That has been corrected. The Solar Guard will remain until this crisis is resolved. I won't have my meeting with the Emperor's chosen interrupted by shadow-corrupted beasts who don't know their place."
August felt hope kindle in his chest for the first time since the Guardian Beast battle. "You'll help us fight sir?"
"Fight?" Duke Maximilian's expression suggested the question was absurd. "My boy, I didn't come here to fight. I came here to meet you. But since there are enemies inconveniencing my purpose, they will be removed. The Solar Guard will handle that minor detail."
He said it so casually, as if eighteen Arbiter-class Guardian Beasts and their armies were a "minor detail" to be handled by his 2,000 soldiers.
And looking at Duke Maximilian's absolute confidence, at the power radiating from him even through his self-imposed restrictions, August believed him.
The hopeless situation had suddenly transformed into something very different. They had a savior now, whether he fully realized it or not.
The battle wasn't over. But for the first time in days, victory seemed possible.