The price of honor - InvadingK494

Things had been far too calm lately. By that point, I had gone more than two months without a single new invasion, far too long for someone like me, accustomed to the chaos of war. My mind was planning to simply return home, while my heart kept scanning the map, searching for new targets. I didnʼt know exactly which path to take, and that indecision was starting to bother me.

My men were still somewhat tired, even after a full month without new invasions, but at the same time, the hospitals remained empty. New troops were being trained every day, and our warehouses were overflowing with resources. In theory, we had everything we needed to launch a new invasion at any moment. Even so, after speaking with my council, I decided that we would return home.

Winter was less than a month away, and that changed everything. At that point, any poorly calculated invasion could cost everything we had built up until then.

Yes… I decided to go home, but I continued sliding through the kingdoms, reading old messages, checking reports, trying to find a golden opportunity. I also noticed that Phantom was doing some attacks on Kingdom 494, so if he asked for help, I would be ready. And when I least expected it, a message arrived.

‘ʼObito, I need your help, and need to be you!ʼʼ Said Phantom, now on Kingdom 494.

So I replied: ‘ʼWhat exactly do you need, my lord?ʼʼ 

“Well… LaMarmotte was without a bubble. I managed to destroy him without much trouble, and then his brother, Shimrod, dropped his bubble and challenged me. But when I attacked, his cavalry wall proved to be powerful, and I almost lost my lord. I need a spearman hunter to face him.ˮ Phantom replied quickly.

My peace was over, and my plan to go home was canceled. I talked to Red, my right hand, to gather and prepare my men.

Analyzing the report, it was easy to understand why Phantom struggled in that first attack. Shimrod was not weak, nor was he disorganized. He had a solid cavalry and infantry formation, with the vast majority of his troops being cavalry.

As a spearman hunter, I had a clear advantage in that fight. Even so, I knew it would not come cheaply, because Shimrod was using battle equipment.

The risk was high. The chance of losing my lord was very real. I was afraid. But I had also gone weeks without any invasions.

I spent long minutes thinking before answering Phantomʼs call.

“What should I do…?ˮ I thought for more than an hour.

Phantom sent another message:

“So, youʼre not coming? Are you afraid? I always knew you would never be a great warrior.ˮ

That message hit me. Phantom had been my leader for a long time. He taught me everything I know about being a hunter. I owed him that.

“Gentlemen, get ready! In less than an hour, we depart for Kingdom 494. Phantom needs us. We have a mission to fulfill,ˮ I said out loud.

After a few hours, we arrived in Kingdom 494. The atmosphere was hostile. Phantom was in Harrenhal, simply observing. He noticed my arrival and, from afar, gave the signal to advance.

I entrusted the fate of my men to him. I prepared my formation, activated all buffs, and launched the first attack.

The first attack was brutal and cost me almost 350 thousand men. On the other hand, Shimrod lost 3.8 million T3 troops.

It was an expensive attack, one that made me reconsider whether I should continue or not.

Phantom was watching from a distance, and I needed to make him proud. I knew he was there for revenge, and I wanted to be part of it.

I ordered my men to advance once more.

When I analyzed the first report, I already knew that the second attack would be painful as well. He kept a large number of T3 soldiers positioned on the wall, which made the advance even more difficult. Breaking through that line and reaching the T4 troops would require a huge effort, with unavoidable losses. From the start, I was aware that this attack would not be simple.

And that was exactly how it went. The attack was intense and costly. In total, I lost 321 thousand men, but I managed to eliminate around 4.7 million enemy soldiers, a high price, yet a decisive one within that scenario.

All Shimrodʼs T3 troops are gone. I launched two more quick attacks to prevent him from using the bubble.

This time, my soldiers were better prepared, and the cost of each attack kept decreasing.

Shimrod lost almost 6 million soldiers across two lethal attacks. On my side, 561 thousand men were killed. A considerable loss, but one that would restore Phantomʼs pride.

Even so, Shimrod chose not to use a bubble and decided to withstand yet another attack, hoping to capture my lord and turn the tide of the battle. He gambled high. I was smarter and reacted quickly, launching two more rapid attacks before he had any chance to respond.

From the last two reports, I could tell that Shimrodʼs resistance was completely exhausted. My men advanced without hesitation, exactly as planned.

In those final two engagements, I lost 310 thousand troops, a low cost compared to the earlier attacks. On the other side, Shimrod watched another 4.5 million soldiers vanish from the battlefield.

When he finally activated his bubble, it was too late. More than 90% of his army had already been wiped out. That move was nothing but an act of pure desperation, made just before I could capture and execute his lord.

“Do not get involved in this war. Becoming an enemy of Phantom will come at a high cost for everyone,ˮ I shouted from atop the walls of Shimrodʼs castle.

Phantom approached. He didnʼt say much, just looked at me for a few seconds. He was proud of me once again. The vengeance he sought was complete, and I had played my part in it.

For me, that invasion brought more than scars. I gained experience, strengthened my name, and earned more merit points. For Phantom, it was the restoration of honor and a successful act of vengeance. For Shimrod, it was the end of a poorly calculated gamble. And for me, it made one thing clear: I would be involved in the war Phantom was about to begin.

In the end, I understood that honor is something expensive to achieve, but worth every life lost.

Thank you for reading.