Isekai Magus 3: A LitRPG Progression Saga (The Fantasy World of Nordan)

by Han Yang

  “We both know you’re a champion, and they will have no such advantage. A few decisive wins early could turn the tide of the war,” Asha said.

  “Maybe. However, I like to play it smart. That Podoni detachment has just left their supply caravan to try to pincer us,” I said with a smirk. “They won’t make it more than a few miles before they realize they have to turn back.”

  “Wait, what?” Asha said.

  I placed a finger over my mouth, and he rolled his eyes. Tarla came home at my request. Ike, Fernando, Tarla, and Maron assembled a large infantry unit with long spears and crossbows - the exact army composition for killing cavalry.

  They would be leaving the gates any minute if they weren’t already heading towards Coorg Woods. I just needed the latest scout reports before I could adjust.

  After an hour of riding north, there was little change and no report. I grew concerned at that point. I should have heard something by then, and the bright moonlight made our force easy to spot.

  When I saw a dozen dragons coming from the north, I realized why my Ossa or Peth had never arrived. The enemy controlled the air. On Earth, wars were normally won from above. Here, it was pretty easy to counter if they got close enough.

  The dragons swooped down on one of my scouts. I had to give the undead centaur credit. He dodged the first three attacks and even sunk a crossbow bolt into a dragon. A black void of magic turned its bones to dust, and I collected the Zorta before the enemy could.

  “That pissed them off,” Asha said in a snarky tone.

  “Yeah, screw them, and screw this. Turn the army, direct charge for the caravans,” I ordered.

  A squire raised bugle to his lips and a different squire shifted our course with a flag. The toot told all the unit leaders to look, and the flag told them how to adjust.

  A dragon flew the yellow in response.

  “Fly the red,” I replied.

  “I’d wager the elva cavalry broke off,” Asha said. “With no support, they likely won’t push too far.”

  “They flew the yellow for a reason. My guess is the Podoni cavalry already turned to try to protect their caravan. Tarla and the other army are probably halfway to the Coorg Woods. What better way to stall us then to give us ultimatums filled with bullshit,” I said.

  I mentally ordered my infantry coming to reinforce me to adjust their course. The dragons flew closer to where my infantry swung west and concluded the likely outcome. Their army sent to reinforce Yookree didn’t intimidate the necromancer or his armies.

  I didn’t really have a choice. This wasn’t about making friends or bowing to the mighty. It was about taking wins when I could and surviving for as long as I could.

  A single dragon landed in front of us, and a rider left the saddle to fly the yellow. I rolled my eyes. Killing someone holding a yellow flag was technically against the rules unless they were using the flag to try to save themselves; it was a convoluted system to say the least.

  I sent an undead horse charging ahead to give the man a ride. I still flew the red so I could capture him as a prisoner technically, but I decided to hear him out if our forces didn’t slow.

  “I’ll talk with him,” Asha said.

  “I sure as hell am not,” I said and watched him ride away.

  Charlie tried to stick to Asha and his mount, but I kept us in the knot of guards.

  Deston, who was my squire for this outing, filled Asha’s spot. “What do you think he wants?”

  The lad was probably fourteen and would be a large man when he grew into his body. He didn’t need schooling like Leor and minded his commands with precision.

  I didn’t need him. I could have a revived minion toot a horn and wave a flag. Politics gave him a spot at my side as a squire. This would help me earn loyalty from his mother who was a rising star in our government.

  “He will have something pointless to say, and it might give me pause. Like we captured Tarla,” I said.

  “Lady Tarla’s been captured?” Deston asked.

  I shook my head, seeing Asha talking with the man. “Even if she was, that is her prerogative. I told her about the brewing fight. She sent a note saying she was coming. I said someone should stay at home with our daughter, and she asked if I was volunteering,” I told Deston.

  “Uh, I’m confused.”

  “Deston, a warrior must accept they’re never safe. There’s no peaceful part to war besides when you’re in the yellow. If the enemy set a trap and Tarla is captured, I will raze the north to get her back. Even so, she will be a prisoner for some time. If Moonguard City has fallen, I will retake it. Which, it hasn’t. I would know. And I haven't had minion death alerts. Can you guess what would get me to change my attack?” I asked.

  “A bribe? Like from the raskers?” Deston asked.

  “Yup, but something is amiss. Can you guess what that is?”

  “Why did an inferior enemy come so close to your city? I overheard you mentioning what the reply to trade talks was,” Deston said.

  “Yes, very good,” I said, smiling. “They tell me to die then wander close to our city expecting us to be what? Be afraid. As if. Good deduction, Deston. I bet you would give Jorma a run for her money in chess.”

  “Nope, she trounces me. Not even close. She does keep asking to play, though, and the Leor guy gets mad,” Deston said.

  I smirked. At least they were closer in age. “The joys of youth. Here comes Asha.”

  The guards let Asha in, and my undead horse rode the guest out of my army to where he was deposited. I could have kept him prisoner, but this was fitting.

  “And?” I asked my friend.

  “If we hit that caravan, expect holy hell. I told him this was war,” Asha said.

  “I bet he didn’t like that,” I said.

  “Nope, not one bit. He offered a bribe. Ten thousand Zorta,” Asha said.

  I raised my voice. “Deston, ten thousand Zorta for a caravan and three thousand knights and four thousand camp followers. What do you do?”

  “Laugh in his face,” Deston said.

  Asha snickered. “Exactly what I did. I countered with a million Zorta, and he asked to be let go. I was tempted to hold him, but this is clean. They get to say they talked with us, and we made a high demand.”

  I glanced over my shoulder, seeing the dragon pick up the rider.

  “I’ll ransom them or convert them. I do feel bad. Was he sincere?” I asked.

  “He seemed unconcerned about the soldiers and was worried about the camp followers,” Asha said.

  “I can resonate with that. Looks like I’m getting into the ‘prisoner of war’ business,” I said with a sigh.

  “What, does that bother you?” Deston asked. “It is common for leaders to preserve life and barter for those they spared.”

  “Yeah, but I have to feed, house, and find something for them to do. It’s easier when I kill them and make them the living undead.”

  “Ah, point taken,” Deston said.

  I shifted in the saddle and used my hand to flippantly gesture. “I’m frustrated. Slavery is a big deal from where I ascended. Some were calling prison slavery even if they had a right to refuse work. Anyway, assuming we win here, I will have a new class of citizens. Something that I try very hard to remove is our class warfare. For example, goblins are equals in Tribe Moonguard,” I said.

  “Yes, and that’s why a few thousand left to join the Podoni Empire,” Asha said.

  I winced at the thought. That rebellious faction tapered their expectations and unruly nature after the swamps. However, once we had a home, many were willing to abandon us for a chance of hiding in another human city. I didn’t stop them. I could, but I didn’t and never settled on if that was right or wrong.

  I mulled over the dissent within the human ranks while we rode in silence. The night dragged on with hours passing. I never saw those dragons again, and I never saw Ossa or Peth. If I had to guess, they were told to stand down with dragon riders in the area.

 
Hours went by, and we crested a hill. We were west of Moonguard City and the Coorg Woods rested on the very edge of the horizon. An orange glow revealed the crack of dawn.

  Only a few miles in front of me, ten thousand waroni, lidka, rasker, goblin, troll, and human skeletons ran towards a fight. These were my reinforcements I had diverted.

  In the far distance, at the edge of the woods, colorful magic drew my attention. Tightly knit formations shielded against enemy volleys from horse archers.

  Ogres flung trees and rocks into the human cavalry in response. The dragons watched from a distance with Tarla and Ike controlling two factions of our armies. One army blocked the advance along the main Coorg Woods’ road, the other blocked the retreat.

  “Deston, wake the hell up. Get every warhorn announcing our arrival,” I said.

  He instantly snapped his head to wake himself. His instrument went to his lips and a cacophony of trumpets blasted from our cavalry.

  When a second series of warhorns blew, I frowned. The enemy cavalry from Yookree arrived on our left and behind us. They must have pushed hard to get there in time. It wouldn’t help them because we would reach our allies first.

  “Spin the formation and keep the infantry skeletons as bait. Order a reckless charge into the enemy cavalry,” I ordered.

  “Remember when you said I was the bloodthirsty one?” Asha teased with a joyful grin.

  “They don’t know what they are fighting against. Extending to kill tireless skeletons is foolish,” I said.

  A new signal blared across the ranks, and our cavalry spun.

  Charlie pushed hard and surprisingly listened to my commands. I collected my mana, letting it course through my body while the power condensed.

  Whoosh!

  My domination and connection spell washed over the area in a growing wave.

  You have connected to 723 humans, 17 trolls, and 3 goblins. Would you like to (Consume) - All (Claim) 747 (Drop) All

  “Damien,” Asha said in dismay. The concern in his voice distracted me from raising the dead.

  Four dragons raced over the caravan, flying the white.

  “They… they surrendered. The dragons too,” Deston said in dismay.

  “Well, shit. Fly the black and white towards the humans and fly the red toward the elva,” I ordered.

  The squires struggled to add flags to their signal poles while in a full gallop. Eventually, they managed and the fighting near the Coorg Woods stopped.

  I had at least fifteen thousand of my minions on the field, and we all charged for the elva cavalry that turned.

  I stopped Charlie who neighed furiously. When I hopped out of his saddle, Asha jumped onto Charlie from his mare. I hoisted my tired body into the saddle of the mare.

  “How are you going to do it?” I asked.

  “They will have us on range, so we might get a few horses to die from exhaustion, but that is better than nothing,” Asha said.

  “If you see the opening, play checkers,” I said.

  He winced but nodded. “Make sure I can give them orders.”

  “Cecil!” I shouted and my general peeled out of the charging cavalry to join us. “Join Asha and execute his battle commands.”

  “Yes, my King.”

  “And me?” Deston said.

  I pointed to Asha and Cecil who already hurried after the main cavalry army. I spun the mare and within five minutes found myself surrounded by my infantry.

  On the edge of the Coorg Woods, golden beams of light cascaded down from the heavens to revive our fallen. The early morning glowed and I noticed some of the enemy were being revived as well.

  I frowned and picked my army up to a trot.

  I saw the four dragons being bound, and the dead being strategically lined up for revivals.

  The main army surrounded the surrendered enemy to disarm them. The caravan rested only a few hundred feet into the woods along the two wagon wide road. Ogres cleared a new path for the front of the caravan to start the journey to Moonguard City.

  Tarla rode a black stallion that rivaled Charlie, minus the personality.

  “You certainly know when to tell a girl to come home,” Tarla said with a grin. I let her stallion near and leaned in for a kiss. She smiled playfully. “I missed you too.”

  “Chipper for a battlefield,” I said.

  “We won, handily. They still had a lot of fight left in them,” Tarla said.

  Ike rode over, hearing this last line. “They sure did. A fight to the death with no chance of saving their followers. I get this surrender and hope we never find ourselves in this situation.”

  “I concur, what were the terms?” I asked.

  “Uh, the white is the white,” General Ike said. “Right. Excuse my manners. If two armies battle, with neither side suffering grave loss, the yellow may be flown for a limited peace time. Normally, this happens to negotiate. The white is a unilateral surrender.”

  “I know what the white is, and that is why I flew the white and black. There has to be a reason the dragon riders surrendered,” I said.

  “Oh, we haven’t talked to them yet,” Ike said.

  “Sorry, I didn’t sleep last night, and then this happened,” I said, nudging the horse forward.

  I waited until the Podoni commanders were bound tightly before approaching.

  “Howdy,” I said with a big smile.

  My guards mostly stood between us, making it hard for them to see me.

  “Are you the enemy general?” a young man asked.

  “I am. I take it you are the commander of these forces,” I replied.

  “I am Earl Larkeno,” the young man said.

  I watched him rise to his feet and frowned. He postured as if he was above me in standing. He did that haughty stare down his nose even with his hands bound behind his back.

  “I’m King Damien. You will tell me all I want to know, or I will kill you,” I said.

  “You can’t. The white ensures care until negotiation for surrendered troops can be completed,” Earl Larken said.

  “You’re what? Sixteen? Who the hell put you in charge?” I asked, shaking my head. “Your stupid empire declared war on me and mine. I will reject the terms more than likely then kill you. Then, you will be returned to the living and will tell me everything I want to know. Problem solved.”

  I spread my hands as if this solved all the problems in the world. Earl Larken went to quibble.

  The second he opened his mouth, I shouted, “Silence!” He had to heed my orders as per the white. “March for Moonguard City, and I will pull the dragon riders into a meeting once I get some sleep. I need to make something perfectly clear to all of you - dying was the better option.”

  I spun my mare and started a trot towards Moonguard City.

  “That was a bit harsh,” Tarla said.

  “The kid needed it. Strategically, if he ordered this march, he deserves to hang. If Jorma or Deston did this, I would rescue my people and leave them to rot. Who the hell orders a small force to come this close to a superior enemy?” I asked.

  “Maybe it was a trap to win the hearts and minds of the Podoni people. Now they have a reason to wish for a second war front,” Tarla said.

  “Then we make them pay for their transgression. As a matter of fact, I think it is time we showed our neighbors that Tribe Moonguard isn’t a pushover,” I said with a grin. The shadow of a harpy flew overhead and Petrion landed a few feet away. “As if he were reading my mind.”

  “I have some interesting information and a unique offer,” Petrion said.

  I felt a second wind hit me and suddenly became alert. Whatever he had to say, I bet it was worth listening to.

  CHAPTER 8

  Moonguard City

  Maggie cried until Tarla handed her to Bell. The look on Tarla’s face was clear, sadness. Tarla had only been gone for four days, but her daughter already reacted differently.

  Tarla launched into a rambling complaint. It wasn’t fair. She deserved to be independe
nt, and the over-explanation continued during our walk down the hall.

  Like the dutiful lover I was, I nodded, listened, and replied in a positive way. My efforts did little besides allow Tarla an ear to vent to.

  “Tarla, my love, calm down,” I said when we neared the meeting room. I raised my voice just a touch, figuring we were being listened to. “The Podoni delegation is behind those doors.”

  “I know, it's just not fair,” she replied sternly.

  She wasn’t pouting, and I could feel the frustration oozing off her body.

  “Yeah, well, neither is having enemies on all sides. Which I would like to rectify so you can spend time with your daughter,” I said.

  She sputtered lips, and I pulled her into a hug. I rubbed her back, and she held me extra tight. “I love you.”

  “I love you too,” I said. “How about just you, me, and Maggie without interruptions after this meeting?”

  “I’d love that.”

  Nee stomped a foot because I had promised to go over loot from both victories with her. Different nobles were requesting access to the spoils for different reasons. Some were even offering Zorta to get fancy weapons. It was all part of my job.

  The kickstarting of our economy was a big deal, and I had just made a promise to Tarla that I couldn’t keep.

  “Did I say after this meeting? I meant after dinner once all my duties were finished,” I said with a meek smile. “Unless I find a way to do both at the same time.”

  Tarla squinted playfully at Nee. This was all for show, the conversation, the frustration. Well, some of it was real, but I had a plan for our guest. I just had to hope they’d buy the trickery.

  Tarla said, “For Tribe Moonguard. Rest assured, I will be ditching all the other work.”

  My guards plied the big oak doors open, and I strode into the throne room. A team of diplomats sat at a table that faced the kingdom’s thrones. Two ladies in regal dresses perched on opposite sides of a warrior woman.

  I ignored the announcer who shouted our arrival and quickly seated myself. Nee stood behind me with Jenovene off to the left. Additionally, about a hundred guards positioned themselves - ready for a fight.