"The latest scout report confirmed that Medici has taken control of the plains and southern hills," Aria said, pointing to the areas in question on the map.

"We currently control this entire area from the crossroads to northern hill," Daemon said. "The plain will certainly be the battlefield."

"This ridge is likely to be a problem. It extends from the southern hills that the enemy already controls, and cuts the plain into two nearly identical halves."

"Horsehead is right," Basil said. "Those on the hills have a clear view of both sides, but those fighting down there will have no idea what's happening on the other side."

"What if we try to take control of the ridge?" Orestes asked.

"Taking it will certainly be vital to victory," Aria replied. "But it is narrow and barren, and they will surely have built redoubts to defend it. Anyone who tries to scale it will be immediately targeted."

"Even though we have many cannon, with this kind of terrain it will be almost impossible to keep the entire plain under fire," Oldrick said. "Unless, of course, we spread them."

"There are not so many that they could be decisive if scattered along the entire front." Adrian replied. "I propose to concentrate all our guns in one of the two valleys, and assign the bulk of the troops to the opposite side."

"Any news of Athreia and her centaurs?" asked Richard

"They're still south. They're attacking the pack trains and supply wagons. I sent a messenger to tell them to join us, but I doubt they'll be here in time."

"That could be a problem," Natuli said. "The enemy has several thousand horsemen, and we alone will never be enough to hold them off."

"We'll take care of it. My knights are a bit worn out from the last few battles, but they're still numerous and eager to fight. Am I right, Captain Plinio?"

"Absolutely, Consul. We'll mow down those bony horses like wheat."

"If you agree, Daemon, I'd like to take care of the valley to the west. My troops are more numerous, and since the road to Dundee runs that way, Medici will probably concentrate most of his troops there."

"I agree. We're building barricades for our riflemen. If things worsen, you can count on some covering fire. We'll take up positions to the east, where the ground is perfect for our guns."

"I also suggest we split our commands in two. You'll stay up high to better coordinate the battle on both sides of the valley, while General Longinus and I operate down below."

"Good solution. We will do so. Are you okay with that, Adrian?"

"Of course. Just don't let anyone get any strange ideas this time."

"There's no point in rubbing salt in the wound," said Septimus. "I've learned my lesson."

"In that case, the battle plan is set. Everyone go get some rest. Tomorrow will certainly be a long day."



The next morning, a warm sun illuminated the three armies lined up and ready for battle.

Everything had gone exactly as Daemon and Aria had planned; Medici had spread his forces out on either side of the high, narrow ridge that bisected the vast plain south of Solea, concentrating most of his troops to the west to maintain control of the road to Dundee. The bulk of the Union cavalry was stationing to the east, where the flat, barren ground would be perfect for a charge.

Both Daemon and Aria had opted for spread-out formations, spreading the bulk of their respective forces in a single line and holding reserves in the hills behind.

As expected, the Union army had taken control of the ridge by building two heavily fortified redoubts equipped with siege weapons; and the fact that all three Generals had placed their best troops near it left no doubt, that a fierce battle would be fought to retain or gain control of it.

No one had ever seen something like that in almost five hundred years.

At least three kilometers ran between the two soldiers of both sides positioned at opposite ends of the line; the top of the ridge or the hills were the only places where one could have a clear view of the entire battlefield.

Daemon and Michael couldn't know it, since not even their telescopes could see that far, but they were almost facing each other, surrounded by their respective guards in the shade of a canopy.

Further down the valley, the four Generals, whose ages added up to less than a century, were preparing for battle; Aria and Adrian on one side, Lawrence and Mart on the other.

No tricks or deceptions; a quick glance at the forces on the field gave the clear impression that each commander had decided to throw everything he had into the fray right from the start. Which meant that now more than ever talent and the ability to read the course of the battle would make the difference.

A flock of crows took flight, circling the plain and anticipating an impending feast.

In history books, what was about to break out would be called simply the Battle of Solea, but folk tales and legends would know it by another name: the Battle of the Three Armies.





"Scalia, did you hear what I told you?"

"...what!?"

Scalia had not slept a wink all night, tormented by Septimus's words that echoed in her head.

She had not fully realized it during the march from Eirinn, but now, seeing the armies of the Empire and the Free State lined up side by side, the entire situation stood before her eyes in all its paradoxical reality.

"Did you say something, Daemon?"

«Aren't you too tired? According to what your men say, you haven't slept more than a few hours for days. Perhaps you should temporarily relinquish command and go get some rest."

"I'm fine, really. I was just lost in thought."

"Septimus told me what you spoke about yesterday. Do you know what the power of ideas is?"

"... What?"

"An idea doesn't stop. It is immune to rules and treaties. Once it is born, it can never be erased. And the idea that we created a year ago will not stop sprouting just because we have committed not to spread it further. The seeds are planted, and I assure you that they will sprout even if we are not there to cultivate them."

Scalia looked at him as if she wanted to believe his words with all her might, but she couldn't find the strength to do so.

"The Revolution will live. I promise you that I will never stop fighting so that everyone in Erthea, regardless of race, will know that they have the right to be free. And right here, right today, we will let everyone know. After today, no one will ever be able to deny that the path we have chosen cannot be stopped. Are you with me, sister?"

"... I... am with you... little brother."



Another half hour passed, during which the two forces challenged each other to a contest of insults, raucous songs and exclamations to extol the virtues of their respective commanders; then, at the stroke of nine, the battle began.

Once again it was the artillery that opened the dance, with the Free State guns beginning to bombard the two redoubts on the ridge, while the Fourth Corps on one side and the Ninth Legion on the other moved up the slope in an attempt to capture them.

Michael was aware of the importance of holding the ridge, but having had little time to fortify the redoubts and being very isolated from the rest of the army he quickly realized that in those conditions they would not be able to hold it for long. It was necessary to silence the guns, or at least force them to concentrate on something else.

A few hundred meters further east, the Jovtan stream had carved out a small depression along its course, which, thanks to the humidity and fertile soil, had filled with small, well-spaced trees.

Mart, who commanded the troops in the eastern valley, was not one for aesthetic finesse; being a veteran cavalryman, attacking meant going straight for the goal for him, smashing everything along the way. But that didn't mean he didn't recognize the value of good strategy.

Moreover, he had complete confidence in Michael and his tactical acumen. Once he received the signal, as agreed, he ordered one of his Captains to take a thousand light cavalry, pass them behind a cornfield behind the formation as the day before and reach the enemy through the grove.

It was a well-planned move.

The few sentries guarding the grove, apparently taken by surprise, fled without even trying to fight, and the emboldened knights quickened their pace, which soon turned into a charge. Once they had left the trees, they climbed along the bed of the stream, certain that they were now one-step away from reaching the flank of the enemy rear lines.

Instead, they found a barrier of sharpened spikes waiting for them, behind which stood dozens of riflemen from the First Corps who greeted them with a hail of bullets.

Unfortunately, neither Daemon nor Adrian were so naive as to be fooled twice in a row by the same trick.

The cavalry unit suffered considerable losses, and before being completely destroyed, it decided to retreat by going back the same way it had come, which was put under control by the Union army to avoid being attacked in the same way.

In the meantime, Aria had certainly not remained idly watching.

To keep the enemy forces in front of her busy and from focusing their attention on the ridge, four of Orestes's six legions had moved forward, colliding with Lawrence's front line halfway up the valley.



"Those redoubts up there are tearing us apart," Aria observed, watching arrows, stones, and bolts rain down relentlessly on her troops. "If we don't take them out soon, this is going to end badly."

Daemon had come to the same conclusion, so he decided to increase the push and also send all the infantry regiments of the Fifth Corps to assault the ridge.

Having to think first about defending their own positions, the garrisons of the redoubts soon had to increasingly ignore the battle in the valley to concentrate instead on those who were moving against them, and this took more and more pressure off the legions engaged in combat.

But Aria's soldiers, although better trained and equipped, had been campaigning in hostile territory for almost a month, and some of them had been fighting non-stop for over a year.

This, combined with the difference in numbers, inevitably had its weight, and after a few hours of fighting, the Union soldiers began to gain ground, pushing the front line further and further back.

And so it was happening, once again, what few could have imagined: the most prepared and trained army in all of Western Erthea retreating before an army of conscripts.



The hill on which Medici had positioned his camp was not high enough to have a clear view of the entire battlefield.

For this reason, it was also vital to maintain control of the ridge and the redoubts, whose support was crucial to having a clear idea of what was happening.

"We are gaining ground," said Tom, reading the nautical signals sent by the garrisons. "It still doesn't seem real to me, we are beating the combined forces of the Free State and the Empire."

"Let's not get carried away, Tom. We still have a long way to go."

"You're right. Sorry, Michael. But given the situation, maybe we could..."

"No. It's not time yet."





Unlike what was happening in the west, the situation in the valley to the east remained largely calm.

After the unsuccessful surprise maneuver, neither side seemed willing to make the first move. On the one hand, Mart did not feel like going on the attack while there were at least three Army Corps and an entire brigade of light cavalry waiting for him beyond the guns; on the other, the Free State forces didn't want to advance as long as the enemy remained beyond the range of the artillery.

However, after learning what was happening on the other side, the General thought that this favorable moment had to be exploited somehow.

Thus, without waiting for the return of the messenger he had sent to ask permission to move, he decided to send all that remained of his light cavalry over the ridge to assist General Lawrence and attack the Imperial forces on the flank.

Two thousand seven hundred light cavalry with short lances and arrow-headed helmets then moved into the valley to the west, and this time the attack caught the legions completely unprepared, which suffered a violent charge.

This time, Daemon was also taken aback, for the area through which the knights had passed was the only point on the entire battlefield where even from his position it was difficult to have a clear view.

"As I always say, sometimes all it takes is a good commander to turn sheep into lions."

A little further back from the front line were two battalions of riflemen from the Fifth Corps, who had remained at the foot of the ridge to support their comrades in the assault on the redoubts. Seeing a part of the cavalrymen heading towards them, the two Majors immediately ordered two lines of four men each to be formed, who arranged themselves in a point formation with fixed bayonets and a shot in the barrel.

"If we give in, they'll take our allies from behind! There's no retreat from here! You can stop them or die trying!"

"Yes, sir!"

The soldiers stood firm to the last man, opening fire only when they could feel the horses breathing on their skin. And it was such a massacre that the Union horsemen broke their charge and retreated back toward the valley to the east before they could even get a second volley, not knowing that they could overwhelm the line before that could happen.



But if the attack behind the front line had been foiled, the one on the left flank was still underway, and the two rifle units alone had neither the strength nor the numbers to be able to stop it.

Aria then threw the last two legions of Orestes and one of the two still available to Basil into the fray, remaining with only one legion still unused.

But even that didn't seem to be enough, because Lawrence responded by sending half of his remaining troops into the attack, leaving the difference in forces almost unchanged and allowing the Union to continue gaining ground.

"There's no other choice," Daemon said. "Order Septimus to go and give them a hand."

"Big brother, are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Don't worry, Sapi. He'll do it."



Septimus, like Scalia, had slept very little that night, and not only because he still could not come to terms with the immaturity he had demonstrated the day before, which had almost cost them the victory.

The scar on his chest had returned to bother him after many months, and although he was not superstitious, he had wondered if it was not some sort of warning from Jorn, Verus and all the friends he had seen die for the Revolution.

But a warning for what?

To convince him that his ideals were more important than reasons of state? Or that Daemon was right, and sometimes it was necessary to bend ideas to the needs of the moment?

There was one thing he was sure of, however: he had decided to believe in the Revolution, and he would fight to the death to make it win. And in such a difficult moment, that resolution was the only certainty he felt he could cling to.

Of course, the last thing he expected was for Daemon to order him to take up position on the far right of the line, specifically to provide support to the Imperial Army if needed.

"General, they have sent the orders. What do we do?"

The only thing that could be done.

"All infantry units prepare to advance! The enemy is in front of us!"

Under the pressure of the Second Corps, the Union light cavalry attack was finally repulsed, and the flank was secured once and for all.

At about the same time, the soldiers of the Fourth Corps finally reached the most exposed redoubt at the top of the ridge, whose occupants offered a light resistance before hastily withdrawing to the only remaining stronghold.

"We can't lose the other redoubt," Michael said. "We'll send all our remaining reserve infantry there."

The cavalry barely had time to return to their starting positions before a new battle broke out on the long, narrow summit of that barren spur of rock; and once again, perhaps to their own surprise, the Union soldiers showed great valor, holding off the Fourth and Fifth Corps' assault and holding the redoubt.

"Michael..."

"Not yet."