Dragon Monarch System

Chapter 1228: Chapter 1228:- Old Emperor Steps up [I]

The Northern Grassy Plains were a remote region located north of the Capital of the Celestial Dragon Empire. As its name suggested, it was an enormous stretch of grassland that extended for thousands of kilometres. The terrain was mostly flat, with very few natural obstacles, making it suitable for large armies to gather and engage in open warfare.

Surrounding the vast grasslands were dense forests inhabited by countless magic animals. Some of these creatures possessed the strength of Fifth Order and Sixth Order cultivators, while a rare few had even reached the Seventh Order. Because of the dangers lurking within these forests, ordinary people generally avoided venturing too deep into them.

However, there were several towns, villages, and smaller settlements scattered along the outskirts of the forests. Most of their inhabitants depended on farming, hunting, trading, and other local activities to make a living. Although the Northern Grassy Plains itself was sparsely populated, the surrounding regions were home to a considerable number of people.

When the Northern Grassy Plains was officially selected as the battlefield for the decisive confrontation between the Anti-Emperor Faction and Emperor Ren’s forces, preparations began on both sides.

One of the first concerns was the safety of the civilians living near the battlefield.

Unlike ordinary wars between smaller kingdoms, this civil war involved some of the most powerful cultivators in the entire Celestial Dragon Empire. Both factions had Seventh Order cultivators among their ranks, and once the fighting began, there was no guarantee that the destruction would remain confined to the grassy plains.

A battle between two Seventh Order cultivators could devastate an enormous area. If several of them fought simultaneously without holding back, the resulting destruction could spread far beyond the battlefield, potentially destroying large portions of the surrounding forests and any settlements unfortunate enough to be nearby.

Under such circumstances, leaving civilians in their homes would be extremely dangerous. Even settlements located a considerable distance from the main battlefield could be affected by the shockwaves and destructive attacks of powerful cultivators.

Aditya understood this very well. Although his primary objective was to defeat Ren and bring an end to the civil war, he did not want innocent civilians to lose their lives simply because they happened to live near the chosen battlefield.

Therefore, shortly after the location was confirmed, Aditya instructed Malakor Harrington to arrange the temporary relocation of civilians living in the surrounding regions.

Of course, Malakor did not personally visit every town and village to oversee the evacuations. As the Duke of the Harrington Family and the leader of the Harrington Faction, he had numerous nobles serving under him.

The responsibility was delegated to the marquesses, counts, viscounts, and barons who governed the territories surrounding the Northern Grassy Plains. These lower-ranking nobles were instructed to coordinate with local authorities, inform the residents of the approaching war, and arrange for their temporary relocation to safer regions.

The Emperor Faction also began relocating civilians from territories under its control near the battlefield. Although both factions were preparing to fight one another, neither side wanted its own settlements and subjects to be unnecessarily caught in the destruction.

While these evacuation efforts were underway, the two factions also began gathering their armies. The Celestial Dragon Empire had a total of 119 Dukes, each governing a vast territory and possessing considerable political, economic, and military influence. These Dukes were among the most powerful nobles in the Empire, with numerous lower-ranking noble families serving under their authority.

Out of the 119 Dukes, 110 had already chosen a side in the civil war, while the remaining nine had decided to remain neutral. Among the 110 Dukes participating in the war, approximately 55% supported Aditya and the Anti-Emperor Faction, while the remaining 45% supported Emperor Ren.

This gave Aditya a slight advantage in terms of the number of Ducal Houses supporting his cause. However, having more Dukes did not automatically guarantee military superiority, as the strength, resources, and number of soldiers controlled by each Ducal House varied considerably.

Every Duke possessed a personal army, while the marquesses, counts, viscounts, and barons serving beneath them also maintained their own military forces. Together, these armies formed a significant portion of the Celestial Dragon Empire’s overall military strength.

However, neither faction required its supporting nobles to bring their entire armies to the Northern Grassy Plains.

Doing so would have left countless cities, towns, fortresses, and important territories without adequate protection. Even during a civil war, the nobles still had responsibilities toward their own lands, and abandoning every defensive position would create opportunities for magical beasts, bandits, and other enemies to cause trouble.

Instead, the number of troops each noble was required to contribute was determined by the military leadership of their respective factions.

On the Anti-Emperor Faction’s side, Aditya, as the Supreme Commander, had the authority to determine what percentage of each noble’s available military forces would be sent to the battlefield. Depending on the circumstances, a noble might be ordered to contribute one-third, half, or even two-thirds of their total army.

The same system was followed by Emperor Ren’s faction, where Ren and his military commanders determined the required troop contributions from the nobles supporting him.

These decisions depended on several factors, including the size of a noble’s army, the strategic importance of their territory, the number of soldiers needed to maintain local security, and the overall requirements of the upcoming battle.

For example, a Duke governing a relatively peaceful region might be required to contribute a larger percentage of his forces, while another Duke responsible for defending an important border might be permitted to retain more soldiers within his territory.

The lower-ranking nobles serving under each Duke were also required to contribute their own troops according to the instructions they received. As a result, the armies gathering at the Northern Grassy Plains were not composed of soldiers belonging to a single noble family or territory. They were enormous combined forces assembled from numerous Ducal Houses and their subordinate noble families.

Shortly after the declaration of war was issued, both factions began constructing massive teleportation arrays on opposite sides of the Northern Grassy Plains. These arrays were essential for transporting the enormous number of soldiers, military equipment, and supplies required for the upcoming battle.

Since the armies were being assembled from different territories throughout the Celestial Dragon Empire, transporting everyone through conventional means would have taken weeks, if not months. The teleportation arrays allowed both factions to bring their forces directly to the Northern Grassy Plains without wasting valuable time.

However, neither faction established its main military camp directly on the battlefield. Instead, both sides selected locations approximately fifty to sixty kilometers away from the central battlefield, with their camps positioned on opposite sides of the grassy plains.

These camps would serve as the main bases of operations throughout the war. Soldiers arriving through the teleportation arrays would gather there before being organized into their respective units and assigned their duties. The camps would also accommodate the military commanders, medical personnel, supplies, and reserve forces that would be needed as the fighting continued.

Both factions understood that the civil war would not be decided through a single confrontation. Even though the Northern Grassy Plains had been selected as the location for a decisive battle, neither side expected its entire army to engage the enemy simultaneously.

Instead, the fighting would most likely take place in several stages, with different groups of soldiers being sent to the front lines depending on the situation.

Interestingly, despite having no direct discussions or agreements with one another, the military leadership of both factions had already reached a similar understanding regarding how the opening stages of the battle would unfold.

The first wave would primarily consist of lower-order cultivators, with Sixth Order cultivators serving as their commanders. These commanders would be responsible for leading their troops, maintaining their formations, and responding to the movements of the opposing army.

As for Seventh Order cultivators, neither faction was expected to send them directly into the opening battle. At most, one or two Seventh Order cultivators from each side might be stationed near the front lines to oversee the fighting and monitor the movements of the opposing faction’s strongest cultivators.

Their presence would serve an important purpose beyond simply supervising the battle. Both factions understood that if a Seventh Order cultivator suddenly decided to attack the enemy’s lower-order soldiers, the resulting casualties could be enormous. Even an ordinary attack from someone at that level could eliminate thousands of weaker soldiers within a short period.

Therefore, the Seventh Order cultivators stationed near the battlefield would also be responsible for keeping their counterparts in check. If a Seventh Order cultivator from one faction attempted to interfere directly with the lower-order soldiers, the Seventh Order cultivators from the opposing faction would be there to intervene.

This was not an official agreement between the Anti-Emperor Faction and the Emperor Faction. Rather, it was an understanding that both sides had reached independently, based on the destructive capabilities of Seventh Order cultivators and the consequences of allowing them to participate freely from the very beginning.

Neither Aditya nor Ren wanted the opening stages of the war to immediately turn into an unrestricted battle between their strongest cultivators. Such a confrontation could cause catastrophic destruction across the Northern Grassy Plains and potentially result in the loss of a significant portion of both armies before the war had properly begun.

For that reason, the Seventh Order cultivators were expected to remain in reserve during the initial stages, while the lower-order soldiers and their Sixth Order commanders would be the first to face one another on the battlefield.

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