Kant passed the night unable to sleep. He stayed in his room all alone as he thought to himself.

Should he break through to the south and confront the invaders, or should he remain faithful to his orders and defend the fortress?

The north eastern region was lightly defended.

It was built on a land where the beasts and barbarians that once inhabited it were all exterminated. 

The neighboring Venetian city state never interfered in their land. 

Humans are creatures that adapt to their surroundings.

The people of the north eastern did not see enemies for a long time. Because of that they abandoned defense for convenience, and nobles himself did not try to stop that trend.

The whole northern region was at the center of the Orlais when it came to agriculture. The more land was cultivated, the more merchants and farmers would come. The merchants would bring with them guards, and sometimes, new mining sources would be found as the land explored, bringing outsiders to the region.

As the population increased, so did the number of houses.

Not long ago, the region broke down its walls to expand its borders.

Presently, many areas in the north eastern region did not have any walls. 

On top of that there were many inn towns and farmer towns along the way to the city from the forest. 

Most of the soldiers’ families live in those farmer towns and inn towns.

He could not abandon them.

Be that as it may, there were also people in the colonial city that needed to be protected.

“What should I do…”

Yuan grit his teeth as he slammed his head into the wall.

Try and try as he might to think, no answer came. No, there wasn’t a right answer in the first place.

“Garrison Commander!”

As the door slammed open, a messenger entered.

“What’s wrong!?”

Kant inadvertently yelled with bloodshot eyes, but the messenger did not have the leisure to be concerned about him.

“The north eastern capital has lit its beacon!”

“…!”

Kant brushed aside the messenger and climbed up the walls to confirm the beacon for himself.

North eastern capital was a town, a demesne of Baron Geer. It was further behind the forest surrounding the fortress. 

According to the messenger who returned,  the Baron and his soldiers were the only surviving allies outside the wall.

“We, are in good health, but… our numbers are few. Rendezvous at the usual point." Kant said as he deciphered the beacon, then he muttered to himself. “This is what I should do, right, Lord Lazar?”

***

Along the road between the north eastern capital and the fortress was a small double storey building with a beacon.

“I’ve lit the beacon… You’ll spare our family now, right?” A local soldier asked Cass with a dejected face.

“If it works,” Cass said.

The human drew cold sweat.

“This isn’t what we agreed on! You said you’ll save my daughter as long as I light the beacon!”

“How are we to know you didn’t betray us and light a fake beacon?”

Cass's bodyguards suppressed the soldier that tried to act violently.

“This is the right beacon, there’s no doubting it! But that doesn’t mean those men from the fortress will move!”

“…Then pray. Pray to your three gods that the commander of that fortress will move.” Cass told the agitated man.

Cass and Elora had long confirmed before even the siege that the beacon was lit east of the fortress. At first, she wasn’t sure what the different colors meant, but it didn’t take her long to figure out that they were a sign of some sort.

The knowledgeable woman knew that the humans once used beacons to communicate over long distances.

Elora had sent her eagle to look for a deserter from other territories to look for someone who loved his family and was not loyal to Lazar.

Both women didn’t know this, but fortunately, that soldier happened to be one of the people in charge with communication. If not for that, Cass would have just killed him on the spot.

The strategist found such disloyal people to be disgusting. 

But she knew humans loved their families.

She could study it. And from that, she knew that she could use it to move humans.

“Now, how will you move.”

Cass narrowed her eyes as she looked toward the towering fortress from afar.