It’s pretty much what I expected it to be. Lord Weston’s estate is much larger than Lady Eleanor’s. The perimeter is well fortified with a formidable wall and a large number of guards.

After informing the guards of my appointment I was handed over to a maid who led me to a small waiting room. I wonder if guests at my old house were shuttled from person to person, one room to another.

“Mr. Jayce my apologies I’ve left you waiting.”

“Lord Weston, no not at all I’ve only been here for a couple of minutes.”

“Come, let us go to my study there are a number of things I wish to discuss with you.”

The house is tastefully decorated with a number of very large windows. The house is well lit, but doesn’t make this easy to spy on anyone in the house? Or maybe he’s not worried about that.

“Here we are, please have a seat, I’ll ask one of the maids to bring some refreshments.”

The room isn’t too large, just a couple of sofas with a table in-between them, a large desk and chair, books that line the wall to the left, and a rather large fireplace. How cold are winters here? Probably colder than the capital in the Empire, it’s been so hot I haven’t thought about it but winter is only a few months away.

“Then Mr. Jayce, I’m not much for dancing around and I’m sure you have your own questions, so let’s dispense with the formalities and get to the crux of what I asked you here for, is that ok?”

“Yes, that works for me.”

“Good, then I’ll be blunt, Freeport is in a very dangerous situation. War is on our doorsteps Mr. Jayce and I would like you to help out. Of course I won’t ask you to work for free, no you will be compensated quite well.”

Well, this was expected more or less.

“Lord Weston, before I commit to anything I would like to ask a few questions.”

“Please go ahead.”

“Right, you say war is on the way but Freeport is a large city with few neighbors, who is it that is attacking and what are their numbers?”

“As of right now we only have a general estimate, but it is somewhere between 30-40 thousand Elkian troops which include foot soldiers, armored beasts, warbeasts, and ogres. They will most likely be traveling with siege equipment. Of course there may be more, we’re not able to keep watch of the entire border with our current manpower. There is also the possibility of attack from the Northern Expanse war tribes. We are looking for clues now but I believe it is very likely.”

What the hell!? Ogres? Like ogres from the fairy tales? And what are warbeasts? I’ve never heard of warbeasts, there’s just too much I do not know about the Northern Territories.

“I see, and what of mages? Do you have any information on mages?”

“That’s difficult to know. There is a possibility that the Elkian military has mages, but we’ve never encountered them before and we haven’t received any reports of strong mages in their ranks. We’ve always assumed Elkia sends its armies as a way to thin their numbers due to food shortages but with the fall of Canrit, it appears as though they are continuing on a path of conquest. As far as the war tribes from the north, most likely they will not have any mages. Little is known about them but they are mostly nomadic warrior tribes. They normally raid and pillage villages in the fall for food and supplies.”

So little information to go on, from what Lady Eleanor said Elkia has been attacking in small waves for a few years. Shouldn’t they have put together a better information network at least? Is the council really this incompetent?

“And what of Freeport’s military?”

“Freeport’s military is 25 thousand strong but they are not dedicated solely to protecting the wall, they are also tasked with internal policing and law enforcement. Effectively, at any time we have 10 thousand soldiers guarding our walls.”

Not having a dedicated police force and instead relying on the military, what city would do this? Freeport is large, very large in fact. I would almost say it rivals the capital of the Empire in size which has nearly 1.5 million people. The number of effective soldiers is way too small.

But even still, with no mages and an army of 10 thousand, it may be possible to hold the walls for a long time. The moat makes it difficult for enemies to get close. With the drawbridge raised archers should be able to pick off enemies who get too close.

There are also trebuchets, and for those who do get close there are murder holes, there may be other things I’m missing as well. The problem is how long they can hold out and for how long is Elkia willing to lay siege to Freeport.

There are no other cities nearby. With no way of cutting off Elkia’s supply lines if they choose to they can lay siege indefinitely. With such a large population supplies will run out quickly in the city which will lead to internal strife. The city will collapse in on itself even if Elkia doesn’t attack. They just need to make sure no one can leave or enter the city.

“Lord Weston, are there any other forces you can call on? In the case of a prolonged siege are there any forces that can help break the siege?”

“Well… we do have allies to the east, most likely they will be able to send 20 thousand men, mostly foot soldiers as well.”

Insanity, this is bordering on insanity. No, this is suicide, it’s as if the leaders of this city wish to commit suicide. Armies arriving from both the west and north, no possibility of fleeing to the south as there’s nothing there, and the ally to the east if the map is correct is nearly 300 miles away.

Even if I had the power to wipe out 40 thousand men myself, which even without mages is not realistic, but assuming I could, Elkia will still be sending more forces. Right now I can’t see any path towards victory, it’s more likely a question of how much time we can buy.

Is it possible, could it be that this is what the council intended? There’s no way the leaders of such a large city couldn’t have connected the points and come to the same conclusion I have. No, the only way this makes sense is if they intended to cede Freeport to Elkia. They didn’t fail to plan, they just planned to lose.

Lord Weston has to realize this right? Why do I get the feeling he’s in the dark on it? Should I tell him? But how do you tell one of the leaders of the city that you suspect the other leaders of the city of treachery? What a predicament I’ve found myself in.

“Lord Weston, I’m a little worried about the numbers you’ve told me. I’m concerned with the city being sieged for a prolonged period of time. If Elkia chooses to they will be unchallenged in supplying their army, do you have a way to cut the supply route from Elkia to their military?”

“A prolonged siege is worrisome, but Elkia wages war on two fronts. I do not believe they will expend the resources for a long drawn out siege. Although it will be costly to us to request help from our Allies, I think with them, combined with our own forces will be enough to force Elkia back as long as we can whittle their numbers down, that is where you would come in Mr. Jayce.”

Is this man actually an idiot? No, maybe he’s just not adept in warfare. I’m not an expert either but some things just seem like common sense.

“How long do you think it will take for the Elkian army to arrive? Assuming the northern tribe's attack as well, when do you believe they will arrive? And how long will it take to receive help from our allies?”

“Our advanced scouts give us a time frame of 3 weeks to a month before Elkian troops can arrive if they begin moving, and roughly the same time frame on the northern tribes. If we sent a message to our allies it would arrive within 3 days via the river. They would then mobilize and travel here after they agreed upon terms.”

I’m surprised he can say that with a straight face. Well, let’s assume 3 days from today the message arrives and best case scenario they agree to the terms Freeport is offering the same day and are ready to move out the next day. Twenty thousand armed soldiers on unpaved roads could probably at best travel 10-15 miles a day. With a distance of approximately 300 miles, if everything went perfectly it would take roughly a month from today for reinforcements to reach. Reinforcements that are nearly half the known enemies’ numbers, their numbers wouldn’t be enough anyway.

“Lord Weston, if I agreed to help would you send a message to our allies today?”

“An official request will need to be drafted and signed by the members of the council, I do not possess the authority to decide on my own. We meet again tomorrow afternoon and whether or not you agree to help I will ask that the rest of the council approve a request for aid.”

So with the enemy only 3 weeks away they haven’t decided on a course of action. If members of the council are looking to give in to Elkian control of Freeport then the request for aid will most likely not be approved. But even if it was it’s still a month or more until reinforcements can arrive.

However, if I was leading the Elkian forces I would have anticipated that, no they probably have spies relaying exactly what is happening. If it was me I would have sent a secondary force with the intentions of meeting the reinforcements. And if I take into consideration what Lady Eleanor told me, Elkia most definitely will be attacking our ally. It’s simple, reinforcements are not coming, Freeport is on its own, and without a doubt, it will fall.

“I think I understand Lord Weston. I apologize but I can’t make a decision right away as this is a lot to think about. Is it possible to meet again tomorrow? Preferably after the decision is made by the council.”

“Yes it is a lot to take in, that sounds good Mr. Jayce, how about tomorrow evening at 6?”

“Tomorrow at 6 will work perfectly. Thank you again Lord Weston, I am sure you are busy so I won’t keep you from your work any longer, I will return with my decision tomorrow.”

********

“So it looks like things are even worse than I thought. Well Mr. Jayce, now that you have a better grasp of the situation what do you think of my proposal?”

Ah, shouldn’t I just leave on my own? My chances of survival would be much higher. I have a map now so I have a general idea of which way to go. But then I’d be alone again. Do I want that? I wouldn’t say I’m attached to anyone here, but it feels better than being alone. At the very least for the sake of my sanity, I don’t want to wander the grasslands alone again.

Currently we’re in a small room below the study in the main house. It would be safe to call this a little bunker. Lady Eleanor said it’s to avoid shadow walkers. I’ve never heard of them but according to her they are able to travel within shadows and are very capable spies.

“Lady Eleanor, I’ll be honest with you, the chances of us escaping safely are very small. The south is uninhabitable, the east will most likely be under attack as well, and the north is a big unknown, most likely currently being raided by the northern tribes.”

“So tell me Mr. Jayce, what do you plan to do? Give up? If I do nothing I will most likely become the play toy for soldiers until they tire of me or I die, but maybe if I’m lucky I’ll be executed. Do you plan to give up and join the Elkian army? Maybe join in the fun?”

“That’s not what I meant, I just mean to inform you escaping is not going to be very easy.”

Well, she didn’t seem to take that very well. I may have come off a bit pessimistic, but honestly I don’t see a good way out of this.

“Mr. Jayce I am very serious. I do not wish to die with this city. I did not think escaping would be easy, and the chances may be small, but they are still better than zero. I wish to hire you in helping me and my family escape. This shouldn’t be a problem as we both want the same thing and I am willing to pay you very well.”

It’s true that we both want to escape. But how many people can I possibly bring with me?

“It’s not a matter of money Lady Eleanor, let me ask you how many people do you intend on bringing in your party, and are you able to travel to Asmuth, it’s roughly 500 miles away?”

“I wish to bring my children, Gerard, and though he is a fool, my husband. My eldest daughter is married and has a young son of her own. She will most likely request I bring her husband as well, and though I do not like the man, my Grace is married to him so it would be best if you can save Lord Weston as well. As you surmised traveling that distance will be difficult for me, so we will need to bring a wagon.”

So 9 people and a wagon. An above ground escape is impossible, the only option is to tunnel. But it will need to be large enough for a wagon to pass. A long tunnel has many problems as well. I can stabilize the tunnel by hardening it, but there is always the chance of collapse.

Air circulation is crucial and will become more difficult the longer the tunnel becomes. I’ve never been part of a tunneling team, but I know simple vents won’t be enough. Using air magic I can probably draw in fresh air from the surface through vents, but that will be more and more taxing as the tunnel grows in size.

There is the issue of the river as well. The river is 1/2 a mile wide but I’m unsure of the depth. I’ll need to tunnel underneath the river. The tunnel can’t be too steep though because of the wagon, so I’ll need to tunnel alongside the river for a while until we reach a safe enough depth. And while we’re under the river I’ll have no way of creating vents and drawing in air.

The more I think about it the more difficult it becomes. Supplies will be an issue as well. I can create water so that’s not a problem, but I cannot hold enough food for everyone plus at least one mule for an extended journey in my bag.

“Lady Eleanor, do you have a bag of holding?”

“Bag of holding, no I don’t believe so, what is that?”

“Basically it is a bag where the interior is larger than the exterior.”

“No I’ve never heard of it, I can have Gerard look into it, but if something that convenient were available I would probably have heard of it.”

Probably not. Bags of holding are expensive even in the Empire. They rely on inscription magic which I have no talent for. You need to imbue the inscription with mana to open and close it as well. Magic doesn’t seem to be widespread here and such a technical form of magic probably doesn’t exist at all here.

“I think the only way we can escape is tunneling out. But that is not going to be easy. There are a lot of issues with it, but I can’t think of anything else. We’re going to need a lot of supplies and the journey will be long.”

“How long do you think Mr. Jayce?”

“I think the bare minimum we will need is 3 months of dry rations for everyone including the horse or mule you intend to pull the wagon, the smaller the wagon the better. Tunneling is going to take a long time, I think because of the size of the tunnel I can probably tunnel 4-5 miles a day. The sooner I get started the better.”

“That would be for the best, but I don’t think you will be able to spend as much time as you’d like Mr. Jayce.”

“What do you mean Lady Eleanor?”

“From now on you will be watched. Lord Weston will have his spies watching your movements, and will most likely force you to help in some way.”

That’s true, if I was him and was bent on following this destructive path I would keep tabs on anyone I could use.

“So what do you suggest?”

“I think you should offer to help him for the time being with his plans. He’ll most likely want you to build traps or something along those lines. It will take a little while for us to gather the supplies, while doing that why not humor him during the day and make preparations on the tunnel at night?”

Work all day and night? You know there’s a limit to what I can do in one day. Lord Weston is a problem though. In all honesty it would probably be wiser to just get rid of him if he becomes an obstacle. But can I do that?

I’ve never killed anyone before. Entering the military I knew I would need to kill, but there is a difference between killing on and off the battlefield. No, it’s too early for that. For now maybe I should humor him.

“Alright, I am meeting with him tomorrow evening so I’ll see what he plans to do. For now Lady Eleanor can please gather the supplies we will need for the coming months. I will build a bunker that will serve as the beginning of our tunnel for the supplies to be stored in. We’ll also need to plan our route carefully.”

There’s so much to do, and very little time to accomplish everything. We need to move secretively as well. I don’t like it, but I don’t know what else to do at this point other than escaping on my own.

********

“You’ve come to my house so does that mean you’ve gotten word from the scouts Randall?”

“Yes Milord, unfortunately, it is as we feared. At least 10 thousand warriors have been spotted near the northern border.”

So the fall raids are soon to begin. With no buffer villages we’re the only option. They’re sure to find their way here eventually. We may need to close the gates sooner than we anticipated.

“And what of the Elkian forces? Have they begun to move?”

“There is no movement towards our direction on their end Milord, however, more troops and supplies continue to amass. An additional 5 thousand soldiers arrived 2 days ago with nearly 50 more wagons of supplies and additional catapults.”

“Randall, is it possible that Elkia seeks to conquer Freeport in this year’s war?”

“I’m not sure Milord. They have provided their army with a large number of supplies, at the very least they seem to be preparing for a long battle.”

Requesting 20 thousand troops from our allies may not be enough. What Mr. Jayce said makes sense, and the possibility of Elkia staging a takeover is there. But I don’t want to believe that’s true. I’ve always known it’s just a matter of time if we don’t form a strong military. But we’ve always relied on the strength of our walls and the mercenaries.

Freeport has stood tall for over 500 years, will it really fall under our watch? I don’t want to accept it, but it’s a distinct possibility.

“What do you think about what I told you? A rank 8 earth and water mage, I think he can play a critical part in the coming war.”

“It’s as you have said Milord. If we can take advantage of him and use him appropriately we could strike a fearsome blow to our enemies. But will he cooperate?”

“He’ll cooperate, he’ll have no choice. We don’t even need to force him. If he’s smart he’ll realize there is no escaping war, it’s better to be proactive and work with us than hiding in a shell and hoping everything passes over. I’ll need you to have someone keep watch of his movements though.”

“Understood Milord, I will put a tail on him to follow his movements.”

It’s not as if he has a place to escape to anyways. And he may be powerful but he is still a kid, be it wealth, women, or fame I’ll find some way to entice him tomorrow after meeting with the council.

“Very good Randall that will be all for now. I have a few more things to take care of and then I need to attend to my new wife. I still have an obligation to the council to produce an heir.”

A child huh? Come to think of it Grace is the same age as that boy. I find myself fighting with old men and relying on children. Save the city and make a baby. Even if we succeed I wonder if I’m just delaying the inevitable. Maybe it’s better to give in after all.