Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 532: Grand strategy (2)

Most people of the Thirteen Tribes take the character of the name of their tribes to put it in front of their name like Ragar who comes from Ragran.

Gifting the nobles status would incentivized the noble he enfeoff to guard the village as Arial promised them ownership of the land and the village. 

Those towns before were ruled by Vernium and the people in those towns are merely administrator of their will but Arial enfeoff them under him.

Ragar questioned him saying they should just loot every house and take every food but Arial objected.

There is a reason why Arial is the Emperor of Eden and why he is called the Conqueror. Arial did not want to rule a graveyard.

The success he accumulated was because of his grand strategy. 

People forgot that the Emperor of Eden was not only powerful in battle but a military genius in deploying soldiers and dictating the course of war.

But what makes him the wealthiest monarch in the world was not the result of him sacking Kingdoms and burning cities.

His performance could not be understood without reference to his performance at the grand strategic level.

When Arial first set out his conquest of the Human Continent he not only wanted to exact revenge, but he has an expansive goal.

He wanted to unify the large Human Continent into one entity under his rule. He wanted the Kingdoms to bow to his feet and all dominion under the sky becomes his.

Silas commented: to unify the land; the amount of blood that needs to be shed would be enormous and staggering.

And it was true. But it was also true, that the Emperor ushered in a new era of peace and prosperity unmatched even by the Kings and Emperors of the past.

With such goal, Arial could not solely rely upon naked military prowess. One of the most important is the limit of force.

War itself does not produce lasting outcomes. 

There are many conquerors that failed to turn military victories into lasting political outcomes.

Where past conquerors had struggled, Arial excelled. At the time when he started his Conquest he has relatively limited forces at his disposal.

Although his forces grew over time he attacked Cori with only fifty thousand men. 

With the Church providing Cori with mercenaries from across the Sea, Arial could not hope to conquer and hold the Kingdom at the end of his sword.

To any large cities he conquered he leaves garrison forces to maintain security in his conquered dominion.

This has caused his resources to be severely tested, even to a breaking point if any number of provinces rebelled simultaneously.

Had a rebellion occur almost common throughout the empire, Arial conquest would certainly have taken longer, been more costly and perhaps he would have eventually failed.

So, this is why to those kingdoms he conquered Arial made it the objective of this kingdoms to be developed leaving his trusted lords to oversee the Kingdoms.

Cities were designed to foster economic, social and political development,

Arial larger aim is to establish a durable empire, constructed from an amalgam of Caelum and Arrandian elements. 

Arial as a genius conqueror of his time, deified by his own people as a Deity of War often saw the advantage of winning over potential enemies to serve his interest.

This is the reason why Arial did not rape the kingdoms of its riches. 

The exception to this policy was Zettel where Arial sacked, burned, razed and slaughter the Kingdom until it has no ability to fight or even to stand back up.

Other than Zettel, all the other kingdoms were developed and grew exponentially after the Conquest War ended.

Arial absorb their resources, their knowledge and their expertise, their forces into his own making him extremely wealthy and powerful. 

The Emperor was so feared and revered that none of the noble lords under his rule dares to object his will once he decided. 

The slowly diminishing power of nobles and their reliance on the Empire and Emperor has ensured that the Imperial Family possesses the most power in all of Human Continent. 

Arial hands could be felt in every reaches of the Human Continent.

When Arial attack Zettel his forces consisted of Corians, Freyans and of Vernian. Arial integrated the people of his Empire excluding only Zettelian.

And as Ragar went to relay his order Arial look at the walled city and his eyes is looking further than just a single city. 

To conquer this large Kingdom is not impossible but with any of his conquest he also had the desire to add the New World to his Empire. 

The riches of this New World could be used to enrich his Empire and its people and at the same time will be used to develop this New World.

If he did this, Arial doubt anyone else would match his achievements in annals of history. To conquered two continents. this has never been done or attempted before. 

But if he managed to do it, his empire would truly last for a thousand year. 

Stability, that is what he wanted right now. The Thirteen Tribes did not understand this concept. 

They do not understand the concept of destroying your enemies until they have no roots. 

The Thirteen Tribes believes that even if they win in a war, the Thirteen Tribes must not destroy any of the Thirteen Tribe until its last man because that would make the Thirteen Tribe Twelve Tribes and that is a sacrilege and blasphemy toward their Gods.

Arial will not try to pretend to understand the many idiosyncrasies of the Thirteen Tribes or their belief but maybe it is because of that reason the Thirteen Tribes have managed to survive in this land for thousands of years.

But he found hope in Ragar. Unlike his brethren Ragar was exposed to other cultures and could be taught.

That is why Arial explained his thoughts to Ragar on why he forbade his troops from looting the areas in which they would operate. 

Before, they were wandering, so such acts could be done. 

But now if they were to establish a base here in Vernium, Arial noted the importance of stability and development.

It takes an hour for ten thousand men to be at ready with the other is marching slowly while the riders guarding the rear.

Uncertainty and the fact there is another group with large army behind them added mental pressure to these men that is about to cross these Hill and met their enemies.

Even though Leavenhill produces food and resources for them, it was only a matter of time before that group behind them caught up.

From the report they carried many foods and resources while Arial and his army is slowly depleting their resources. 

After the constant battle and also allowing the civilian to join them, their resources needed to be replenished.

They had endured great hardship and privations, were not properly armed. It is of vital importance that they take over Balhae and replenish themselves.

But the people following Arial were loyal. Their etiquette and code of conduct differ greatly with the people of the Human Continent.

Once they acknowledge someone as their chief, as their leader they obey almost religiously.

There is also the fact that Arial lived familiarly with his soldiers, participated in their hardships and privations, and redressed many of their grievances. 

Arial sitting on horseback urge his horse to move forward as he rides to the left and right of his army looking at their faces, destitute, discontent and disheartened.

The journey from the Walls of Repentance, through the forest fighting the Darkly Things and now a battle has sapped these men of their vigor, energy and vitality.

Then Arial shouted his voice shakes the wind and jolted each one of his soldiers awake.

'My brave soldiers!' He shouted and in his voice was a passion and confidence. His eyes show a flaming confidence of his victory.

Arial knows that if he takes over Balhae the worst is over. He could arm his soldiers, fitted their horses, replenish their food resources.

'If we are victorious, the provisions and the supplies of the enemy become ours; if we are vanquished, we have already too much to lose' endeavoring to revive their spirits

Balhae has sixty thousand men, a greatly superior force, equipped with supplies and occupied advantageous position.

Then he sauntered across his soldiers with each soldiers giving him way. 

'I come to lead you to our salvation. From Balhae I could lead you all to the most fertile plains the sun shines upon. Rich provinces and great cities will soon be in your power; there you will reap riches and glorythey will be at your disposal. Fellow soldier! Fellow brothers in arms! With such a prospect before you, can you fail in courage and perseverance?'

No man ever understood how to excite emulation, by distributing praise or blame, as did Arial. 

He convinced the Caelum lords to assist him in the War of Succession. Entice the Caelum noble to conquer Vangua.

Each of his speeches to his men, none of them fail to incite them to war.