Richard turned to the soldier in the courtyard. The soldiers here were generally the leaders of a group and at least a sergeant as a rank. Therefore, the soldiers here were important soldiers and experienced warriors. Richard stood tall on his horse and began to speak.

"My soldiers!

As you know, great insults have been made for me and the Asina kingdom. Therefore, the insults made to me have been made to all the people of Asina, and the reason we are gathered here today is to defeat the barbaric southerners! Undoubtedly, you are loyal warriors, and I am proud to go to war with warriors like you. Our ancestors sacrificed much to win these lands, and now it is our essential duty to protect this legacy!

The gods have undoubtedly been with us so far, and I am sure they are still with us. While we killed the infidels for them, they blessed us and cleared a path for us. Undoubtedly, every barbarian killed is the key to the path to heaven for us. Finally, as you all know, the treasure of the south is full to the brim, and the gold is waiting to be spent. At the end of our victory, just as our ancestors left us, we will also leave a legacy to our children, and when our grandchildren look back on history, they will be proud of us!

Now tell me, my soldiers, ARE YOU WITH ME!!??"

"YEAAAAH!!!!!"

"HURRAAAA!!!"

The courtyard of the palace was filled with the sounds of the soldiers' cheers, and soon the war drums started to play. The drums continued to play loudly and rhythmically, as if celebrating the arrival of hell. Ethan and his brothers mounted their horses as well. Ethan's horse, 'Faith', stood out in the crowd as it was a very good and muscular horse. Ethan stood to Richard's right, and as the front-line soldiers started to move out of the palace's main gate, everyone began to advance slowly. Ethan and Richard were in the center of the soldiers, and there were two cavalrymen carrying the flag of the Asina kingdom and Ethan's prince emblem beside them.

As they exited the palace, they could see the people cheering and celebrating. Richard's popularity and respect among the people were immense. Among the people, there were some anxious eyes, but mostly, there was hope and joy. Many noble and common women threw their handkerchiefs towards Ethan from the roofs and balconies of the houses. Ethan continued to advance without losing his composure, and in the meantime, some people from the crowd joined the rhythm of the drum-playing group. This added a different depth and beauty to the war march. With the war march, the soldiers continued, and finally, they reached the outer walls of the city.

King Richard and his army had officially entered into war, and the journey seemed to be quite long. Since the sun was already setting, they started to move towards the main army camp near the capital, where they would spend the night. At the same time, the army of the Merdonbia kingdom was also there in that camp, and with Richard's arrival, security issues would be resolved. The army continued to advance without slowing down, and the noble armies waiting outside the capital also began to join the main army. Thus, even before the entire army was united, the number of soldiers in the army reached 40,000.

A few hours after the sun had set, they finally reached the main army camp near the capital, and new tents were immediately set up to spend the night there. The night progressed smoothly, and the soldiers of the Merdonbia kingdom behaved themselves. When morning came, after the needs of the army were met, the journey southward resumed. The direction of the army was towards the former borders of the Avarya kingdom, and most likely, that would be the area where the two armies would meet and battle.

-----

"Your Majesty, the enemy army has started to mobilize. What are your orders?" said General Olsian. He was a rising figure in the army lately.

Alpshar glanced at the documents on the table once again. These documents contained a brief summary of Richard's life, even so, they exceeded over a hundred pages. There were also long pages about Anastasia. Alpshar always gathered information about his enemies, even curious about their private lives, and he did this before every battle. Knowing your enemy increased your chances of defeating them, and it seemed that Alpshar took this very seriously. His track record suggested that this strategy was effective. It was clear that Alpshar had already made his plan, and he began to speak to his general.

"Prepare the army immediately. We are heading north at maximum speed," he said.

Upon hearing this, most of the generals were surprised and looked at Alpshar in astonishment.

"But, Your Majesty, why are we entering the enemy's den? If they are coming for us, why not let them come and defeat them in the south, where we know the geography better?" said General Olsian.

Alpshar stood up and approached Olsian. He grabbed her shoulder hard and started talking without any emotion on his face. 

"I forgive this foolishness of yours this time because you are new, but never question my orders. Never" said Alpshar and returned to his seat.

General Olsian paused for a moment, looking into Alpshar's eyes, but then he bowed his head and quietly accepted the order. "Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty. I will immediately prepare the army according to your orders" said Olsian resolutely.

Moving towards the enemy's territories was risky, but combined with Alpshar's strategic brilliance over the years, the likelihood of success was quite high. There was no turning back now. With Alpshar's decision, the army of the Southern Kingdom began to move northward.

The movement of the army, combined with Alpshar's determination and strategic brilliance, caused confusion among the Kingdom's soldiers. However, it wasn't wise to oppose Alpshar's orders. General Olsian immediately set to work to carry out the orders and began preparations for the army to move northward.

It was not known what Alpshar's plan was, but it was clear that the coming war would be bloody. Always a cunning thinker, Alpshar was not afraid to make sacrifices for the sake of his goals. It was clear that there was an obstacle in the way of the Asina Kingdom, and he felt it was absolutely necessary to destroy it.