Tiffany Town.

Cass reads the report written on the papers on the table. It has been over two months since we made this inn as or temporary base. 

We have been steadily reducing the number of enemies guarding the fortresses in the central plain via changing hit and run tactics. We even cut their food supply from the north and villages around the central region. Nevertheless, the fortresses are not bulging. Margrave Sigismund Jagiellon and Count Erakis were still resilient due to enforcement armies and food supply from the southern region. However, recently the situation has changed.

Suzy is reluctantly helping Cass with the paperwork. 

"Here..your coffee." Shaela, the inn's owner put four big cups on our table and sits beside me. 

Although top secret documents are spread throughout the table, Cass doesn't mind Shaela reading it as the strategist sees the widow as a trusted insider. Shaela is my woman like her after all.

"Sorry, Shaela for continuing to trouble you."

Shaela shakes her head.

"No. It's actually the other way around. Since you are all here, my situation is a lot better. Now, I am worried if you leave me alone in the future." The widow giggles.

Someone knocks on the door of the inn.

"Please enter." Suzy orders.

The dalish beast master, Elora walks in. 

"Many parts of the capital were burnt to the ground. The civil war has worsened."

So, it has come to that.

The reason for that much paperwork is due to refugees from the south. 

The merchants, citizens of towns and villagers fled from the civil war to villages and this town, which are under our administration.

It seems Castall is divided into three warring factions; supporters of former king who is Scarlet's father, supporters of the assassinated Behl who is Demia's father and the current de facto ruler, the self proclaimed king, Moriham Obilic. 

The internal strife causes Margrave Sigismund Jagiellon and Count Erakis to be extremely hard pressed. Their force is left about less than 2,000 men as most of the enforcement were called to their original territories in the south to participate in the war.

The worst part is the central force loses their only source of food supply.

I stare at Cass, the strategist who came out with this strategy.

"Did you foresee this?"

Cass smiles.

"It's a game of probability. Most probably this will happen."

"Huh..scary woman!" Suzy ridicules her.

Instead Cass smiles satisfactorily and replies,

"I accept your words as praise. Still, this must be the work of God. You met the princess by herself coincidentally. And your majesty, you made the correct decision to capture her."

Suzy retorts, "Em. Actually I was the one who asked him to capture the princess."

Cass adds, "And Miss Claire. She was the one who set up a network of merchants in southern Castall. Without that, we won't get intelligence and  you won't be able to bypass the security to here."

"Ceh." Suzy seems a bit jealous but questions,

"But if the central fortresses have been greatly weakened, why don't you attack now?"

"Good question. This war has always been a war of attrition. They have been cut off from the source of food. And now, without large reinforcements from the south, they are forced to hide behind the walls of the fortresses. There are twenty fortresses. So, I estimate they could only place about a hundred men in each fortress. The main fortress that the margrave and count are in must have a bigger number."

Interesting. I am intrigued to know her thinking. I ask, "So, Cass. What's your next action?"

"We shall reuse our initial method. Elora, Tina, Kurotsuchi, Hanabi, Mirai. But now we have Reina. We quietly eliminate the small fortress one by one while starving them out."

"Starve them out?" Elora asks. She seems confused.

Cass explains, "You don't need to anything. We just let the time do thevwork. The more days passed, their rations became lesser. Once we eliminate the smaller fortresses between central and south, we shall our men there. That new garrison will siege them."

I clarify from her, "So, we just need to eliminate fortresses between central and south?"

"Yes."

That's logical strategy obviously. I pity the enemies.

Cass adds,

"And please do not mention our strategy to Demia and Princess Scarlet. They must be deceived forever. We are their saviour and Castall is their enemies."

Everyone including the innkeeper, Shaela nod. 

***

2 weeks later in the central plain.

A man enters the room. Count Erakis and Margrave are sitting and facing each other with a luxurious desk between them.

"Milord. A large number of enemies have set up encampments at our south. The fortresses behind them remain indifferent."

Erakis's face turns pale. He mutters, "Could it be that those ten fortresses have been annexes?"

The man hesitates for a moment but finally says,

"I believe so, lord count."

Margrave's hands tremble in both anger and fright. He asks,

"Their number.. how many?"

"Based on their equipment. 3,000 trained soldiers and 50,000 villagers."

The count laments, "So, our former subjects have totally defected and become their volunteer militias?"

The man nods and reminds his superior,

"And we only have food enough for less than a week."

Margrave sighs and reads the paper on the desk,

"The situation in the capital and south are hopeless."

The standing man speaks,

"It seemed last month 30 noble families including Skanderberg quietly vanished in the southeast."

Count Erakis ponders loudly,

"To have made sure that no leaks had occurred was a feat that was pretty much impossible. After all, merchants and travellers still strutted around even during wartimes."

The man suggests,

"Perhaps the merchants colluded with them."

Count adds, "And how the princess could be abducted."

Margrave Sigismund Jagiellon sighs,

 "One thing for sure..Their strategist had perfectly checkmated us."

He looks at the perturbed faces of the two men and proposed,

"How about if we surrender and become vassals of Hezri Kingdom?"

Count doesn't reply immediately so as not to annoy his superior, but he still replies after a while,

"I believe it is too late. Furthermore, in their previous offer, they offered to exchange the princess with the kingdom's dissolution but... we..nobles shall be brought to trial for the atrocities against the serfs, former foreign nobles, dark elves and dalish." 

Margrave sighs again, "That means we are sure to be sentenced to death."

He then turns to the two,

" I want to propose a hypothetical. What could we do to win a war against the Hezri Kingdom?”

The count adds,

"Could we form an alliance with another country?"

The standing man looks hesitant but still gives his opinion,

"On our south, there are only wilderness and barbaric tribes. We are cut off from other civilized nations since our north was annexed by Hezri Kingdom. Dioral is separated from us by the great forest, Korcari Wilds. Surrounding great nobles like Redcliffe supported this new kingdom. Even Vandimion of Venetian and Montbelliard of Orlais also supported them. With our capital and south being destroyed by civil war, Castall is, forgive my rude words, is isolated and doomed."

Silence envelopes the sumptuous room.