Path of the Greatest Empire-Chapter 13: Prelude to War

Suthrath slept peacefully that night. Since he had woken up after transmigrating into this world, Suthrath had spent the entire day filled with tense moments and stress. And he very much needed this night of sleep.

Although there was tension among the councillors and leading soldiers that the eastern settlement might launch an attack in the darkness of the night, Suthrath was certain that the attack would not be coming in the night.

The enemy would lose its advantage in the darkness as they would be on unfamiliar lands and now that Western settlement had been weakened so much, Suthrath did not see a reason for the Eastern settlement to take such a risk.

And as expected, he was not disturbed in the night as the attack did not happen in the night nor in the early morning.

Suthrath woke up early in the morning along with the first ray of light, freshened himself up and arrived at the army barrack.

Lander and few other councillors were already present there.

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Few men were preparing the breakfast for the soldiers while soldiers were keeping themselves in full focus and were prepared for an imminent attack.

Scouts had been placed on the walls all around the settlement and especially in the eastern direction. Since, the terrain surrounding the settlement was completely flat, the enemy would be spotted from a far away distance.

The councillors, though tried to maintain stoic and expressionless faces, the nervousness and anxiety in their eyes could not be hidden/

As Suthrath saw the meal for the soldiers being prepared, he wondered if they would even be eat their food... and for how many people this was going to be the last meal of their life.

"My lord," a thin man greeted as he walked up to Suthrath.

He was an extremely thin middle aged man. He was another one of the councillors. He was Trebor.

Trebor was one of the most respected man in the entire settlement and was probably the most intelligent among all of them.

The reason- Trebor was immensely knowledgeable about the anatomy of a human body, its functioning and inner mechanism. He also held vast knowledge about medicinal herbs, their properties, their uses, how body would react to a certain herb, which herb to use in which disease.

In other words, he was the doctor of the old ages- who read pulses and gave treatment based on observation.

Suthrath, the predecessor, had heard that Trebor's father had received some guidance from a very knowledgeable person in his younger days and had also gotten himself associated with some kind of medicine based monastic order. And as the custom of those days- the knowledge was passed down to Trebor and this man had proved himself to be better than his father.

Or maybe it was because, he had been training since his childhood unlike his father who had received any guidance in his adulthood.

Even know, every 3 years, Trebor would go to that same monastery to get further insights into the human anatomy and healing methods. And Trebor would spend few months at the monastery.

Suthrath did not have any further knowledge about the monastery.

"Councillor Trebor," Suthrath greeted back with a tint of respect in his voice.

The man had proved himself useful to the settlement and saved quite a few lives after the two skirmishes. And with another battle imminent the man was going to be even more useful.

Suthrath also respected the man because unlike other councillors, Trebor was the only person who did not have much interest in the power and politics. He was in fascination in what he did and was extremely dedicated to the settlement and its welfare.

"Do you think that there won't be an attack today?" Trebor asked. "Maybe... the eastern settlement does not want to continue this useless war."

Suthrath shook his head and sighed, "I wish it was like this, councillor Trebor."

"The reason for their previous two attack was nothing but territorial ambition and after being successful in the first two attacks, I don't see a reason why they would not attack now?"

"Even if there were voice who might have questioned and opposed such decisions previously, the success in these two skirmishes must have silenced them," Suthrath said.

"And for the attack, it will happen today..." Suthrath said. "Otherwise, they will lose a certain advantage which they have worked hard to gain."

"A very long section of the wall would be repaired and then we would have many other options."

"The attack will happen today," Suthrath concluded with a finality in his tone.

Trebor shook his head in lamentation, "All this was probably this old man's wishful thinking."

"You are not really old, councillor Trebor," Suthrath said with an amusement.

"Have you gotten ready what I had told?" Suthrath asked after few moments of silence with a serious tone.

"Yes..." Trebor hesitated. "Are you sure this is the right thing to do?"

"Killing enemies with poison... does not sound very good," Trebor added with a shaky voice.

Suthrath nodded firmly, "We are doing the correct thing, councillor Trebor."

"We are not the one who have brought war to the door steps of the enemy," he continued. "It is the enemy who have brought this war to our doorstep."

"It is the enemy who have killed and murdered our people. When dealing with such people, we should not worry about morality. For when survival is involved... morality does not matter," Suthrath said.

"Everything is fair in love and war... councillor Trebor," Suthrath said. "Everything is fair in love and war..."

Trebor was about to give further opinion when, a man came running and huffing.

"The enemy... they are on the edge of the lake," he panted.

"Everybody..." Suthrath made no delay in taking command. "Just as we had planned... no chaos... discipline and no movements without my order."

Thanks to his strict 'orders' of yesterday, there was no chaotic behaviour.

"Now everybody to your position," Suthrath shouted and the soldiers ran but it was all in order.

The war has begun.

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