Building an empire which the sun never set-Chapter 40: Unexpected Development

Arthur had not sent a fleet to defend the ocean-side entrance of the strait. Having destroyed Aragon's ocean fleet, he saw no immediate threat from the sea, and with limited warships at his disposal, he prioritized protecting the White Sea entrance instead. The logistics fleet departing from Pendralis consisted mostly of sailing ships, as the steam-powered ironclad warships had been dispatched to the White Sea entrance to block any Aragonese attack.

Arthur believed that since Aragon's ocean fleet had been wiped out, no enemy force remained to challenge his supply lines. Without enough ironclad escorts, he had allowed sailing ships to provide protection for the logistics convoy.

What he did not know, however, was that the Fasi Kingdom had also been profiting from piracy, raiding Pendralis trade vessels under the guise of independent corsair attacks. While Arthur had noticed an increase in diplomatic activity between Aragon and Fasi, he assumed that Aragon was merely trying to prevent Fasi from siding with Pendralis in the war.

Five days later, the long-awaited Pendralis logistics fleet—carrying crucial ammunition and supplies—finally arrived at the entrance of the strait, escorted by the last remaining sailing warships of Pendralis.

As they approached, they encountered an unexpected sight—a Fasi fleet, stationed at the mouth of the strait, blocking their passage.

The Pendralis support fleet, mostly composed of cargo ships, was vastly outnumbered. The Fasi navy had three times as many warships, posing a serious threat.

The Pendralis fleet commander, along with his officers, quickly assessed the situation. It was impossible to win a battle against a fleet three times their size, and the risk of losing the supply ships was far too great.

Realizing this, the commander ordered an immediate retreat.

To inform Arthur of the dire situation, a team of ten modern rifle-armed soldiers was deployed by land, landing on the northern shore of the strait, which was under Arthur's control but otherwise uninhabited Aragonese territory. Their mission was to deliver the message to Arthur at the fortress as quickly as possible.

For two days, the messengers rode without rest, stopping only for brief breaks.

Meanwhile, inside the fortress war room, Arthur sat at his desk, reviewing the latest intelligence report on the movement of the Aragonese army.

The enemy force had swelled to nearly 50,000 troops, as additional soldiers from Aragon's southern lords had reinforced the main army.

By contrast, the Pendralis garrison at the fortress numbered only 6,000 soldiers, mostly composed of naval infantry and artillery units.

Arthur remained calm.

Despite being vastly outnumbered, he knew that firepower would balance the scales. More importantly, he was on the defensive, which meant Aragon's numerical advantage would mean little against entrenched artillery positions and superior firepower.

Just then, a knock came at his door.

"Enter," Arthur said.

A soldier stepped in, snapped to attention, and saluted. "Your Highness, a detachment from the logistics fleet has arrived with an urgent letter for you."

Arthur's expression darkened.

He had been expecting the logistics fleet to arrive, but the fact that they had sent a letter instead of arriving themselves meant something had gone terribly wrong.

He immediately took the letter, broke the seal, and began reading.

As he scanned the message, his expression turned grim.

The Fasi navy had blockaded the strait, preventing the logistics fleet from reaching the fortress.

Arthur stood up abruptly, his chair scraping against the stone floor.

"Summon all high-ranking officers to the command center immediately," he ordered.

The soldier saluted and rushed off.

Left alone in his chamber, Arthur paced.

For years, the Fasi Kingdom had remained neutral, despite its historical enmity with Aragon. It had never officially sided with Pendralis, yet it had also never intervened in favor of Aragon.

Why now?

Arthur's mind raced.

He recalled the recent increase in diplomatic exchanges between Aragon and Fasi. At first, he had dismissed it as Aragon ensuring that Fasi would not ally with Pendralis.

But that had been a mistake.

Now, he understood the real reason.

Arthur thought back to the pirate attacks on Pendralis trade routes.

At first, he had assumed these were Aragon-backed privateers, but now it was clear—the Fasi Kingdom had also been engaging in piracy, profiting from attacking Pendralis merchant ships.

If Pendralis gained full control of the strait, its trade convoys would be protected, making it impossible for Fasi to continue raiding them.

To Fasi, keeping the strait under Aragonese control was a strategic necessity—not because they wanted Aragon to win, but because they wanted to continue their profitable raids.

Arthur clenched his fist.

He had overlooked this.

Muttering a curse under his breath, he turned and strode toward the command center.

Inside the war room, the high-ranking commanders had already gathered, awaiting Arthur's arrival.

As he entered, he walked straight to his seat at the head of the table and sat down.

Without wasting a second, he relayed the contents of the letter to the officers.

A heavy silence filled the room.

If the logistics fleet could not get through, the fortress would soon run out of essential supplies.

The first proposal came swiftly—withdraw the White Sea fleet to break the ocean blockade.

But doing so would leave the fortress vulnerable to an Aragonese naval assault from the White Sea. If Aragon realized the White Sea fleet had retreated, they could bypass the strait entirely and lay siege to the fortress from the sea, cutting off Arthur's forces even further.

The Fasi fleet had not deployed ground forces, suggesting they wanted to avoid direct losses. Their goal was simple—starve out the Pendralis army.

As the commanders debated, Arthur remained silent, his eyes fixed on the map spread before him.

Finally, he spoke.

"We must destroy the Aragonese army in open battle."

The room fell dead silent.

All eyes turned to Arthur.

He continued, his voice calm and firm.

"We lack the ships to both protect the White Sea entrance and break the Fasi blockade. The Fasians have made it clear—they do not wish to directly engage. Their goal is to weaken both sides, ensuring that no clear victor emerges."

"If we wipe out the Aragonese army, the war will be over."

Arthur's finger traced the map, stopping at Tiko Plain, twenty kilometers from the fortress.

"This is where we will face them," he said.

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"If we stay behind the fortress walls, we will only prolong the siege. Our supplies will dwindle. Time is against us."

"But if we force a single decisive battle, we can concentrate our firepower on one target and annihilate their forces before they even reach the fortress."

General George leaned forward. "What is your plan, Your Highness?"

Arthur smiled.

And then, he began to explain.